


Can't Go Home

by random_chaotic_cat



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Dream Team - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF, youtube - Fandom
Genre: :P, Aliens, Alternate Universe - Space, Animal Death, Author Is Sleep Deprived, F/M, Gen, I had a dream, It was a weird dream, Just an old dog, Kidnapping, Kinda, M/M, Multi, Not too shippy selt insert wise, Nothing horrible, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, PhilBur, Saving Earth, Self-Indulgent, Self-Insert, The Author Regrets Everything, This is bad lol, Tommy is kind of a dick, alex is me, blem, idk how to tag, just felt weird, look - Freeform, look it's the only one that was easy to swap in from the other one, no the name is not real, sad tho, space, uh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:42:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 34,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27241369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/random_chaotic_cat/pseuds/random_chaotic_cat
Summary: One day, governments around the globe force all citizens to take a series of puzzle like tests. Few pass, barely 30 from each country. Those people are taken away, and tested again. Those that score highest are given a choice: Go and save an alien planet thousands of lightyears away, or the Earth will be destroyed.I had a really weird dream one day and it wouldnt leave my head so, I wrote this. I hope you like it, if not then oh well lol.
Relationships: Clay | Dream &; Orginal Female Character, Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound, Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound/Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Corpse Husband/Karl Jacobs/Sykkuno, GeorgeNotFound/Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotfound &; Original Female Character, Orginal Character/Original Character, Philza/Wilbur Soot, Sapnap &; Original Female Character, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot &; Original Female Character
Comments: 16
Kudos: 58





	1. Nine Months and No Words

_ Nine months. _ George thought to himself as he glanced at the woman sitting by the window. Nine months, three weeks, six days and fifteen hours since they'd been forced onto this ship. In all that time, the woman had barely said anything. At least, not around George and his friends. To his knowledge, the woman only spoke to King and Queenie when she was sure no one was around. Queenie assured them it wasn't their fault, that Cat, the woman, was just painfully shy and horribly depressed by their situation. Bad, always the optimist, told Queenie that they'd give Cat her space. Most of the Americans seemed to know something the rest of them didn't, and George guessed it had something to do with the day they'd met.

George smiled as he watched a black and white cat run and jump up to Cat's lap, emitting a loud meow and getting an eyeroll in return. Mismatched eyes glanced up, seemingly started to meet George's own. George felt his cheeks warm slightly as he raised a hand in a half wave, giving what he hoped was a kind smile. Cat's mouth twitched on one side, her eyebrows scrunching together before one raised in a slight curiosity. For someone who rarely talked, she was very expressive if you paid attention. Dream had been the first to point it out, having seen Cat once completely engrossed in a book, making what he called, 'the most adorable faces ever' as she rapidly went through the pages.

"You do know it's kinda creepy to stare, right?" George jumped and let out a small yelp, turning to glare at a now snickering Sapnap. He was about to curse out his friend before the two men both froze at a sound they hadn't heard in ages.

Cat was laughing, a hand covering her mouth like she was trying to hide it. Her eyes met theirs as she began calming down, starting a new round of giggles and then, to George's surprise and Sapnap's glee, desperate snorts for air. 

"George screams like a little girl doesn't he?" Sapnap bounced on the balls of his feet, as excited as George to see the usually gloomy woman smiling and laughing.

"I do  _ not, _ you prat!" George huffed, shoving his friend's arm playfully, "Stop sneaking up on people like that and-" George paused, realizing something as he turned to Cat with narrowed eyes, " _ You _ saw him and didn't warn me!"

Cat snorted again, the biggest shit-eating grin George had ever seen damn near splitting her face in two. She took a deep breath, a few more giggles escaping as she stood from her place by the window sill, dislodging her pet and getting an unhappy meow for her efforts.

"I thought it'd be funny." Cat's voice was quiet, and a bit rough from disuse, but her immense amusement at the situation came through very clearly. "And it was, so I'm not sorry."

Sapnap and George were both frozen, they hadn't expected her to  _ actually _ talk to them. Not when the last thing she'd said to them had been her new name, back on the first day they'd been gathered together. Back before they'd left Earth, before they'd been forced away from home.

"Holy shit, you  _ can _ talk!" Tommy exclaimed from the doorway, Tubbo beside him and staring into the room in shock. Cat froze, eyes widening much like her namesake as she looked over and saw the two teens. She paled slightly, cringing as she quickly dropped her gaze and snapped her mouth shut. Sapnap shot Tommy a dirty look before smiling at Cat. George didn't think he'd ever seen such a gentle look on the younger man's face.

"Just ignore Tommy, you know how much of an idiot he is." Sapnap squatted down and reached out to the black cat by Cat's legs, clicking his tongue to get it to come to him. The animal sniffed at his hand before clawing its way up to Cat's shoulder, making the woman grimace and hiss in pain.

"Shiro…" Cat frowned at her pet, who just headbutted her cheek.

"You named your black cat 'white'?" Dream came in from behind the younger boys, head tilted curiously as Patches mewed loudly from his arms. Dream and Sapnap were two of the people that tried to talk to Cat the most, trying to get her more comfortable around everyone by being their overly friendly selves. George wasn’t quite sure why, but he was more than willing to try and get to know the women better. Queenie had told him that she was incredibly sweet and funny, when she wasn’t being a gremlin. Sapnap had snorted his water when he overheard, a small grin on his face as he nodded along. 

Cat's face turned a cute red as she nodded, not looking at anyone as she seemed to try to make herself smaller. The black hoodie she was wearing was huge on her, even more so now after so much training. George watched Dream's face as his friend smirked at design,  _ his _ Halloween merch.

"Well, he's a cute little thing. Guess it suits him." Dream chuckled, reaching to pet the black cat. Much like with Sapnap, Shiro sniffed at Dream's fingers but this time nudged his whiskers against them.

"Aw c'mon, how come you let Dream pet you? Tiny jerk." Sapnap huffed as he stood up, taking a half step away from the woman while glaring at her cat.

"....." Cat was silent, though her discomfort was still obvious in her tensed posture and firm line of her lips.  _ Back to the silent treatment for us _ , George sighed and shot Tommy a glare. The teenager had the brains to look guilty, and George knew he hadn't meant to upset their shipmate, but the kid needed to learn how to filter his words.

"So, what's with the group meeting?" Queenie and King walked in, together like they usually were. Queenie's snapback was a bit askew and King’s clothes were rumpled, so of course Cat shot her some kind of look that made Queenie roll her eyes, "Shut it, Cat."

Cat gave an innocent little smile, fluttering her eyelashes in what George had come to know as her 'I didn't do anything' face, and usually meant she'd done some kind of prank or joke on her friend.

"Must you be so mean to our resident Dream simp?" Sapnap asked, giving Cat a small grin. Cat blinked in surprise, looking down at her hoodie as her face turned a brighter shade of red… George saw her expression turn sad. He frowned in concern, Sapnap made that joke almost every time she wore it and usually Cat just rolled her eyes or stuck her tongue out at him.

"...It's not my hoodie you know." Cat's voice was barely a whisper, all of her previous energy seemingly drained from just a few words. George saw her left thumb start playing with the rings on her ring finger, feeling his heart ache for reasons he didn't want to think about.

Sapnap's grin slipped slightly, turning into a sheepish smile as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "I.. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up-"

"It's fine. You didn't know. It was funny, your joke." Cat looked up at him with big, sad eyes and a watery smile before walking out of the cafeteria with her lips once more sealed. Queenie frowned and followed after her friend, while King looked at the other men in the room. He sighed and sat at one of the tables.

"Look, guys, you gotta stop walking on eggshells around her." King rubbed at his temples a bit, trying to find words, "We're all hurting from… This, but unlike us Cat's more alone. Yeah she knew me and Queenie before, but we'd never met in person and only talked a bit over Discord, we really weren't all that close and…" He goes quiet for a moment, debating how much to say, "And Cat… Cat was married. Her husband is still on Earth."

Dream, Sapnap, and George shared a look. They'd guessed as much, from seeing Cat play with the rings on her left hand when she got nervous, and the few times Sapnap had found them on the bathroom sink, only for a panicked Cat to run in mid shower and grab them. George still laughed when he remembered Sapnap's panicked scream the first time.

"Treating her like she's made of glass will just make her feel isolated." King looked at them again with a frown, "I know you guys want to help her and all… But… Making that the reason you want to talk to her makes it seem like charity, not friendship."

"We've been on this bloody ship for nine months!" Tommy grumbled and crossed his arms, "None of us wants to be here, she needs to get over it already-"

"Tommy." Wilbur put a firm hand on Tommy's shoulder as he walked in, frowning deeply at the boy. He was another person who tried talking to Cat, and also the one with the most success, "That's not how pain works and you know it."

Sapnap shook his head and grabbed an apple, what he had originally come to the cafeteria for, before leaving with George and Dream behind him. They could hear King and Wilbur berating a defensive Tommy with Tubbo trying to explain away his friend’s words. George waited until they were farther away before asking his friends a question.

"Was she always so quiet?" George looked at Dream and Sapnap curiously, "Even when… When we were still on Earth?"

Dream hummed thoughtfully as they walked through the corridors of the ship, "Yes and no. She was quiet yeah, but… brighter I guess? She'd joke and laugh when she felt comfortable, but was definitely more open."

"She seemed like someone we'd be friends with." Sapnap nodded with a soft sigh as they arrived at the apartment-like area they shared; the three of them, Bad, Skeppy, King, Queenie, and Cat. Their friends were sitting on the large L-shaped sofa, reading through some book when the others came in, giving a small wave.

"Hey guys, you're back sooner than expected." Bad said cheerfully, "Thought you'd go train some more or something."

"Dude, it's our free day. We're not going to train on the one day we get to rest." Sapnap rolled his eyes and flopped onto the longer part of the couch, feeling too lazy to walk to his room. He closed his eyes while he listened to George relay what had happened in the cafeteria, thinking back to how all this shit started.

* * *

Sapnap had been getting ready to record a video when someone started banging on his door. He'd sighed and told Bad that he'd call back in a little while, that he was probably gonna eat after seeing who it was. Bad had laughed and said he needed to take a shower anyway, so it was fine. With a final goodbye Sapnap headed to the door, only to be grabbed and dragged out to a dark van by a bunch of big dudes in suits. No phone, no shoes, just the clothes on his back and his wallet from a trip to the store earlier that morning. The ride to the first airport was spent in stunned silence, then questions and swearing and yelling when nothing was answered. He tried for the doors, only to find them locked and the windows made of tinted glass too hard to break.

By the time he was put on the first jet, Sapnap was an angry ball of tension, thrashing around and trying to fight his way out of the situation. Unfortunately, there was a small prick in his side and then everything went dark. By the time he woke up, Sapnap was strapped into a seat and surrounded by armed men in military uniforms, none of whom would answer any questions. They did give home small sips of water through a straw, though one of them ended up with a mouthful of water spit at them for his efforts. The plane touched down and Sapnap was finally allowed out of his seat, and escorted to a bathroom which, was probably the most awkward piss of his life. Afterwards he was roughly taken to a different hanger, shouting and cursing the whole way, and then tossed into another large, dark car. Luckily he landed on something, though he now knows it was  _ someone, _ pretty soft so he avoided injury.

* * *

Now, nine months later wandering a ship to try and share a snack with a woman he'd accidentally groped, Sapnap wondered if maybe this wasn't a good thing. Yeah he missed his family, but most of his friends were here. He got to see Dream and George on a daily basis, hug them and goof around in ways that he thought would never actually happen. Sapnap knew Dream missed his family fiercely, but George had always been estranged from his. Sapnap thought that that was why he and Cat talked the least, because he couldn't understand her sorrow.

Tommy was the opposite, he missed his family so much it made him angry, lashing out at everyone but Tubbo and Wilbur. Cat was an easy target for the teen, wearing her emotions so openly and never fighting back against the harsh words that fell from Tommy's mouth. Sapnap had found Wilbur comforting the small woman multiple times after a particularly harsh verbal lashing. Will's ability to talk people into listening to him was helpful in stopping Cat's tears, while Sapnap had gotten fairly good at making her laugh once she'd calmed down.

Today, Dream had come along to see if he could talk to Cat about something regarding their training, some puzzle that the two and Techno were stuck on. Sapnap rolled his eyes at the thought, they were such nerds. Of all of twenty of them, those three excelled most when it came to the puzzles, though Cat didn't believe she was on their level at all, even after all this time.

Sapnap snapped out of his thoughts at the sounds of speaking, voices he heard only rarely. Their off days were the days they received messages from home, and usually Cat was in her best moods when those days arrived, smiling a bit more and being more likely to approach one of them for silent company. Dream and Sapnap rounded a corner into what was a cargo area, Cat's usual hiding place when not in the library or her room. Queenie was nowhere in sight.

"They don't think I should tell you this but… But you deserve to know." A male voice said quietly, sounding hoarse and tired, "I hope… I hope your friend Jake is with you, and maybe you should pause and find her…" The man paused again, whether because he needed a moment or because Cat had paused it, Sapnap wasn't sure. 

Cat chewed her lip and fiddled with the sleeves of her hoodie, looking around and blinking in surprise when she saw Dream and Sapnap. The taller of the two gave a small wave, while Sapnap smiled awkwardly.

"Uh… Sorry we were um.. Snacks?" Sapnap held up the bag of strawberries he'd brought along, "But uh… We can leave if we're intruding?"

Cat hummed before slowly patting the floor beside her, her voice soft when she finally spoke, "Can you… Will you guys stay..? I… I'm scared of what he's going to say…"

Sapnap shared a look with Dream, giving a nod as they both went to sit on either side of the woman, careful not to be too close. Cat had always expressed extreme discomfort at people being too close, but this time she slowly tugged them both a bit closer leaving just the slightest distance between their bodies. She gave them a shy little smile before turning her attention back to the tablet.

On the screen was a man who seemed a few years older than Cat, his face was rounded with glasses sitting a bit low on a wide nose, a thick beard and long, braided chestnut hair partially hiding his features. Sapnap had the fleeting thought that he looked like someone from that 'The Last Kingdom' show. Cat had a sad little smile on her face as she lightly trailed her fingers over the screen without hitting play.

"...My husband, Elliot. He's such a dork… Tried for ages to get his hair long enough to look like a freaking Viking…" Cat chuckled as she explained, "He was only two years older than me…"

"...Time goes by differently for us in hyperspace or whatever." Dream murmured, leaning his head on top of Cat's in an effort to give her comfort. He'd seen his sister grow without being able to be there.. It hurt horribly.

Cat nodded as her fingers hovered over the screen, "I know… That's why I'm so scared…" She closed her eyes and took a slow breath, mouthing something before opening her eyes again and pressing play.

"I… I really hope you're not alone for this Lex I…" Elliot seemed to be at a loss for words, avoiding looking directly at the camera. He glanced at something offscreen and nodded before hazel eyes focused forward again, "It's… Lex I'm so sorry, Brownie he…" Cat's let out a choked noise, her shoulders stiffening as her eyes went wide and filled with tears, "He's gone Lex. I woke up yesterday and… And he was beside me, I thought he was asleep at first but… Lex, I'm so, so sorry. We… We buried him with his bed some of your big cat plushie, next to Butterscotch-"

Elliot's words were lost as Cat let out a heart wrenching wail, tears finally falling down her cheeks. Dream reached and paused the video, taking the tablet and setting it aside as Sapnap gently put a hand on Cat's shoulder. The woman jerked away and buried her head in her hands, fingers clawing into her hair as her breathing picked up.

"...Cat, hey-" Sapnap tried again to put a hand on her shoulder, let her know that they were here for her, but he jerked away as she let out a loud, high pitched bloody murder scream that echoed off the walls of the cargo bay, probably through the entire ship. Dream looked similarly stunned, concern and uncertainty plain on his face as he tried to figure out what to do. Should they get Queenie? Wilbur? Fuck, he didn't know, he didnt want to leave her when she was like this.

Sapnap swallowed down the hurt that stung him, he had hoped that Cat finally saw him as enough of a friend to where he could help but… He shook off those thoughts, trying to remember what Will had told him helped when Cat started panicking.

Before he could figure it out, however, Cat suddenly sucked in a harsh breath and wiped her eyes, clamoring to her feet with shaking legs.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm- I'm being stupid I shouldn't-" Her voice broke as she pressed her palms to her eyes, breathing still unsteady when she pulled up her hood, "I'm sorry for being so messed up, I'm sorry!" 

Dream opened his mouth to say something, anything to refute her words, but she took off before either him or Sapnap could make a sound, dashing out of the room and off to some other hiding place.


	2. How did we get here?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened nine months ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very 'Alex' centric and I'm very sorry, if you want to skip it, I understand.

Alex's memory of nine months ago was hazy, but also vividly imprinted into her mind. She remembered the government forcing everyone to take these weird tests, a series of puzzles both physical and digital, and she remembered no one knowing  _ why _ everyone on the fucking planet had to take these tests, though she secretly thought they were very fun. She remembers her family just shrugging it off and going about their business, after getting her father in law out of jail for refusing the tests.

She doesn't remember what day it was when she was grabbed from her bed by men in suits, wearing nothing but her underwear and her husband's Dreamwastaken hoodie she'd gotten him for Christmas. She remembers someone yelling, but she doesn't remember who. She knows that she spent a long time in a car before she was shuffled onto a plane, but she can't grasp the details of either trip.

Alex remembers being taken into a private hanger and transferred to a different, much larger car, and then waiting for a long time. She might have dozed off, she doesn't really know, but she remembers opening her eyes and being surprised to see another person in the seats across from her. A man, not one of the ones in suits, was being pushed into the car, though he seemed much more volatile and aggressive about this predicament.

"What in the ever loving fuck is going on?!" He yelled, only to have the car door shut and locked. His face was contorted in a snarl and from the length of his legs he seemed to be much taller than Alex, and she quickly tried to make herself smaller and more hidden. Hard to do when you're a 5'7" woman who weighs over 220lbs, but she tried anyway. The man's eyes snapped to her at the movement, snarl changing to confusion before a bright flush spread over his face and he looked away.

"Why don't- What happened to your pants?" He cleared his throat, cheeks a charming red. It made the freckles across his face stand out, and Alex noticed that his hair wasn’t much shorter than her own, blonde locks curling just below his ears.

"....I was asleep. They didn't give me a chance to get dressed." She shrugged, trying to pull her hoodie farther over her legs. The man jolted in surprise and looked at her again, brows furrowed and mouth drawn into a frown.

"Seriously? And they didn't give you anything to wear?" His green eyes had a glimmer of concern in them, and Alex tilted her head as she realized she knew his voice from somewhere.

"I didn't ask." Alex mumbled, nervously flicking her thumbnail against her hand, blatantly avoiding direct eye contact and instead distracting herself by counting the man’s freckles. "Just kinda glad I was able to grab my glasses."

"Well… I don't know how much better it would be but-" 

"LET ME GO YOU MOTHERFUCKING-" More shouting from outside, and another man was unceremoniously manhandled into the car with them. With the force he was shoved into the vehicle, the man ended up careening straight into Alex, his shoulder painfully digging into her thigh as the door shut again.

"Nick?" The first man blinked at the other, Nick apparently, in surprise, "They grabbed you too?"

"The fuck do you thi- Wait, Clay?" Nick put his hand on whatever he'd landed on, something soft and warm, jumping when he heard a high pitched squeak. He looked up, into the face of a woman with some of the darkest eyes he'd ever seen. Blue and purple glasses made them look even bigger, wider as she stared down at him, and Nick wondered why she was so red.

"...Dude. Move your hand." Clay reached over and yanked Nick off the woman fairly gently, giving her an apologetic smile, "Sorry, accident."

"I-It's fine… So, Clay and Nick?" Alex tugged the hoodie lower over her thighs again, trying to think of where she might know these two from. Maybe they were new associates at work? Nick felt his neck heat up as he noticed where exactly he’d been touching.

"Yeah, um.. Sorry for… Why don't you have pants?" Nick rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, brows furrowed as he took in the appearance of the dark eyed woman.

"I was asleep and this is what I was wearing." Alex shrugged, the fog of sleep and terror finally receding from her mind, "I'm Alex."

"Nice to meet you Alex." Clay smiled cheerfully, though Nick could tell it was strained. Welp, Nick was nothing if not good at breaking tension. He turned to Alex, intent on offering his joggers, but stopped as he took a better look at her hoodie.

"...Clay. Clay her  _ hoodie _ ." Nick sounded absolutely  _ thrilled _ . Alex raised a brow, wondering if they were fans of Dream… She looked down at the smiling face on her hoodie, pondering everything going on, before her eyes widened in realization and her eyes snapped back up to stare at the two men.

Nick burst out laughing as Clay lit up in recognition, Alex's face turning a bright red, cutely highlighting the smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks before she flipped up her hood and pulled it down over her face, "No no noooo, this cannot be happening. You two- You are  _ not _ -"

"Dream and Snapmap, at your service." Clay grinned at Alex, wheezing at the way she glared at him while Sap kicked his shin.

"How's it feel to get a Dream face reveal, in person?" Sapnap laughed and started shimmying out of his joggers.

"I- You- What the fuck nuggets are you doing?!" Alex spluttered, staring at Sapnap a moment before averting her eyes.

"Giving you my pants, don't worry I had shorts on under them for a joke I was gonna do." Sapnap shrugged, putting the pants on the seat between them before turning away to give the pantsless woman some privacy. Alex hesitated a moment before sliding them on, a bit awkward given she couldn't stand fully, but it worked and she was being relieved to finally have her bottom half covered properly.

"Ah… Thank you." Alex murmured, messing with her short, fluffy hair after putting the hood back down. Now that things were calmer, Sapnap noticed that it was dyed various bright colors and sitting in some kind of bob that stopped just below her chin. Shades of pink, blue, and purple mixing together artfully in something that  _ had _ to have been done by a professional. It was extraordinarily messy, sticking up in various places with a few tangles scattered about, and Sapnap figured it was from being grabbed while sleeping.

"You're welcome." Sapnap smiled, holding out his hand for her to shake, "And it's nice to meet you."

Alex hesitated a moment before slowly shaking his hand, and then Clay's after, "Y-Yeah, you too."

Clay chuckled and sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees, "So, formalities out of the way and Alex finally having some pants-"

"It wasn't my fault I didn't have them!" Alex scrunched up her nose in mild irritation and crossed her arms again, face still slightly pink, "Those suits just- Barged in while I was sleeping and dragged me out of bed! I was lucky to wake up enough to grab my glasses."

"Fair point." Clay nodded, looking at the door to the car, "Any idea  _ why _ they grabbed us?"

"Dude, if you don't know then how should I?" Sapnap sighed and settled against the back of the seat.

"I was kind of mostly asleep." Alex grimaced, fiddling with the sleeves of her hoodie, "Didn't really wake up all the way until Dream was put in here, and no I don't know how long I was in here. I zone out easy."

“They haven’t said anything to us… Are you a YouTuber or anything Alex?” Dream looked over at her, wondering what they could have in common with this woman to get them all kidnapped like this. Alex shook her head with a frown.

“Nope, just your average retail drone.” She sighed and started messing with something on her left hand, “I have a few videos up on Youtube, but it’s mostly just my friends who watch me play shit like Beat Saber every so often.”

Dream nodded as he mulled over this information, turning to the door as he heard talking again. He and Sapnap both shifted away from the door, Alex shrinking more into her hoodie. Sapnap noticed and shifted so he’d be blocking the woman from view, hoping to help her feel a bit safer. She seemed around his age and on the smaller side, and if he was scared by the situation he could only imagine how terrified she was, dragged out of bed in nothing but what she was wearing. Their attention was once more drawn to someone being pushed into the car, and Sapnap and Dream both relaxed as they recognized the fourth person.

“What the muffin are you guys doing here?” Bad’s eyes were wide as he looked at his friends and peeking around Sapnap at the person behind him, “Oh hello, I’m-”

“I know. I’ve seen y’alls Manhunts.” Alex gave him a nervous half smile, “I’m Alex.”

“Nice to meet you. So does anyone know why we’re here-” Bad was cut off a second time by the car starting. The four adults froze as they felt the vehicle start moving. Alex gripped the fabric of her borrowed joggers tightly, trying to ignore the slight tremble that started shaking her body. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, frowning and shrinking away from Sapnap. The raven haired man flushed a bit and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, giving what he hoped was a reassuring smile. He’d just been trying to let her know she wasn’t the only one terrified.

Alex started flicking her thumb against her fingers again, eyes dropping to her knees as she chewed her lip. She glanced up at Sapnap and sighed, “I- Sorry, I’m just- I'm um... not good with unexpected touches…"

"No no, it's fine, I should have asked." Sapnap quickly reassured her, smiling kindly, "I just uh… We're all scared so um.. solidarity."

Dream snorted at Sapnap's awkwardness, feeling himself relax a bit despite the situation, "Yeah, we're in this together Alex, we got you."

"...My life is in the hands of nerds. I'm doomed." Alex deadpanned, causing Dream and Sapnap to stare at her in shock before she cracked a small smile, "Thank you, I do appreciate it."

Bad laughed and patted Sapnap's arm, "I like her, she's funny."

"I'd hope so, my humor is about the only thing I really got going for me." Alex rolled her eyes, shifting and leaning against the door to look at them all better as a more serious look settled on her face, "So… Since it can't be because of YouTube or fame, why did they grab us?"

Dream hummed and looked at Bad for a moment, before looking back to Alex, "It's not age, Bad's like, six years older than us-"

Alex raised a brow at the statement tilting her head to one side in a feline like manner, "...Than  _ you _ maybe, he's only three years older than me."

"Wait, how old are you?" Sapnap looked at the woman in surprise, earning a small snort of laughter.

"I realize I might seem a bit younger given the oversized hoodie, but I'm twenty-three." Alex rolled her eyes before returning her attention to Dream, "Any other ideas?"

"Uh...Rare blood type? Covid immunity?" The green eyed man shrugged. Sapnap rolled his eyes and tapped his fingers against his leg.

“Why wouldn’t they tell us?” Sapnap frowned and looked up at the ceiling of the car, “You figure if it was something like that, they would have just told us…”

“...What about the tests?” Bad offered hesitantly, feeling a bit awkward when three sets of eyes snapped to him, wide with the realization that that  _ had _ to be it. What the fuck were those tests…

It was maybe twenty minutes before they felt the car stop, and Sapnap jumped a bit when he felt Alex grab onto his sleeve. When she moved to let go he gave her a small smile. She may have been older than him, just she was definitely the most afraid out of the four of them, so he didn't mind if she needed someone to cling to. The door by Dream and Bad opened, men in suits standing outside while a red haired woman bent down and spoke to them.

"Will the four of you please step out of the vehicle? I know you're probably confused and frightened, but I promise we'll explain once all of you are gathered." The woman said curtly, stepping away and waiting. The four shared a look before Dream moved to get out, followed by Bad, then Sapnap and lastly Alex. The red haired woman raised a disapproving brow at the cowering woman half hiding behind Sapnap, and Dream stepped between them.

"Where are we and why are we here?" Dream asked firmly, standing to his full height and holding his head high.

"You're in Washington, but everything else is classified information that we can't release until the others have been gathered. Follow me." The woman turned, her heels clicking against the concrete of what Dream finally took the time to notice was a driveway leading to a building he never thought he'd enter.

The men around them, who Dream guessed to be Secret Service or some shit, directed them to walk forward. Sapnap held back the urge to punch one who gave Alex a push, instead gently tugging the woman after Dream. Bad took up the place in the rear after noting Alex's discomfort, mildly wondering if she had some kind of trauma.

Dream frowned as they were taken to a meeting room, six other people already inside and sitting around a large conference table. The woman leading them gestured for them to sit as well.

"Everything shall be explained soon, please wait just a bit longer." She said curtly before leaving, and Dream narrowed his eyes at the sound of a lock clicking.

Dream scanned the room, recognizing two people at the table. Techno and Skeppy were talking with a person in a snapback, who looked over and seemed to light up.

"Holy shit, is that you Cat?!" The person stood up excitedly, and Alex blinked in confusion for a moment.

"Are… Queenie?" Alex's shoulders seemed to have a massive weight lifted off them as she quickly detached from Sapnap in favor of wrapping the other woman in a tight hug, "Thank fuck, someone I actually  _ know _ !"

"For reeal!!" The other woman, Queenie, bounced on her heels excitedly, "Dude, you won't believe it but this is- Is that Sapnap and Bad?! Holy shit!"

Alex, or Cat apparently, grinned and looked over at them, "Queenie's the one who showed me y'all's videos. Huge DreamTeam simp."

"And proud." Queenie laughed tugging Alex into the seat beside hers, "King's here too."

The man on Queenie's other hand reached to shake Alex's, "Nice to meet you for real."

"You too." Alex seemed much more relaxed now, a small smile on her face, "I wish it was for different reasons though."

"Hey if not, you wouldn't get to cling to me." Sapnap plopped down by Alex with a smirk.

"She's more of a George simp." Queenie snickered. "Hell, the Brits in general."

"For the love- I said he was cute  _ once _ !" Alex groaned, flipping her hood up to hide her face again. "And accents are h-  _ nice _ to listen to!"

"And yet you're wearing  _ my _ hoodie." Dream wheezed as he and Bad took the last two seats at the table. Queenie's eyes snapped to him, bright with recognition.

"No  _ way _ !" She half squealed, wiggling in her seat excitedly.

"Dream face reveal, now your fanart can be more accurate." Alex snickered, earning a smack in the arm from her friend.

"Oh shut it, Cat." Queenie rolled her eyes with an easy grin. Sapnap looked at Alex and raised a brow.

"Cat?" He questioned. Alex shrugged and laughed softly.

"I met Queenie on Twitter over a game, name on there is Clockwork Cat." Alex smiled and lightly patted Sapnap's arm, "I didn't lie, calm yourself."

"Well aren't you two close." Queenie teased her friend with a giggle.

"I mean, she's wearing my pants." Sapnap laughed, watching the exchange of facial expressions between the two women. Queenie's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open, while Alex turned a bright red.

"Look, look." Alex raised her hands in a placating manner, holding back nervous giggles, "Look. I was asleep, and I happened to not be wearing pants."

A smirk started forming on Queenie's face, "So you stole Sapnap's pants-"

"I didn't steal them-"

"You _ stole _ Sapnap's pants-"

"He offered!" Alex pouted and gave her friend a light shove, "And I'm  _ tired  _ okay, you know I get loopy on low sleep-"

"I bet you have nice legs, does she have nice legs?" Queenie snickered and looked at Sapnap.

" _ DUDE _ !" Alex's face was so red, her hands flailing as she tried to get her friend to stop. Sapnap felt his own face heat up and he laughed nervously.

"I'm gonna choose not to comment." Sapnap chuckled, smirking a bit. Dream laughed softly and looked around. Everyone was either holding back laughs or shaking their heads at the conversation, more relaxed than they were before. He didn't know if it had been on purpose, but the three had managed to ease some of the tension, giving everyone something humorous to focus on instead of whatever the fuck was happening.

It was the moment everyone relaxed that the red haired woman came back, along with more men in suits. They carefully laid what looked to be tablets of some kind in front of all of them, an omega symbol on the screens.

"You will now use these to take another round of tests." The woman looked at them, eyes a tad narrowed, "Know that you are not the only group brought here today, but the group that passed the first round of digital puzzles the best though your physical capabilities were... lacking."

Alex cringed and shrunk down in her seat, the way the woman had glanced in her direction as she said those words didn't go unnoticed. By anyone. King grabbed Queenie's arm to stop her from saying anything in defense of her friend. Alex though, her brows furrowed and she looked at the woman.

"Um… There has to be some kind of mistake, I… There's no way that  _ I _ did well enough with those puzzles so be in the same group as these guys." Alex vaguely gestured in the direction of Dream and Sapnap. "If anyone my brother-"

"That is why you will be taking a different set, to be sure that you are the people we need." The woman cut Alex off with an irritated frown, "Now, you will not be allowed to help each other, so please move to separate parts of the room. There is no time limit, just complete your tasks to the best of your abilities."

Alex flinched at the dismissive tone, taking her tablet and choosing a spot in the part of the room farthest from the door while everyone dispersed to different areas. She caught Sapnap's eye and gave a small smile when he waved, before looking down at the tablet with a frown. Giving it a tap she frowned when the screen lit up to a form.

"We do require that you fill out a basic information form, to confirm your identities." The woman looked at her own tablet with a frown, "Just a formality.

Alex sighed and closed her eyes a moment, taking a few deep breaths to try and force back the anxiety attack she could feel bubbling beneath her skin. She counted to thirty before opening her eyes, starting to fill out her form.

**NAME** : Alexandria Jane LaRue

**DOB** : April 17th, 1998

**AREA OF BIRTH** : Athens, OH, United States 

**CURRENT RESIDENCE:** xxxxxx, XX, United States

**EDUCATION:** Highschool graduate

**EMPLOYMENT:** Currently employed in retail

**MARITAL STATUS:** Married, four years

**NUMBER OF CHILDREN** : N/A

**ETHNICITY** : Latino, Caucasian 

**BLOOD TYPE** : A-

**HEALTH PROBLEMS, EX: BAD EYESIGHT, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE:** Near sighted with an astigmatism in left eye, mild hearing loss in left ear, weak ankles

**FOOD/MEDICINE ALLERGIES:** Pollen

**HEIGHT:** 5ft 7in

**WEIGHT:** 234lbs

Alex paused and frowned at the last part she needed to fill out, chewing her lip before slowly typing out her issues.

**MENTAL DISORDERS:** Anxiety, depression, ADD, PTSD related panic attacks 

With the form completed Alex began working on the tests she was given, frowning in concentration. She wasn't really paying attention to how long she took, only that some puzzles were very annoying. They seemed difficult but were simple, and others tried to trick you into working the wrong way. Luckily Alex had always been good at puzzles, always liked them, liked challenging her own thinking.

She reached the end of the tests in what she was startled to realize was nearly two and a half hours, looking around curiously. It seemed she was one of the first done, if the way Dream and the pink haired man in the other corner were throwing a balled up piece of paper at each other was any indication.

Dream noticed someone else look up from their tablet, and was pleasantly surprised to see it was Alex. He wondered why she claimed she shouldn't be there, seeing as she was done before even Sapnap and Sapnap was one of the smartest people he knew. He gave the older woman a wave, snickering at the way her face went pink as she raised a shy hand to wave back. Techno looked over and smiled, waving as well. They didnt know if they were allowed to speak before everyone else was done, but it was a unanimous thought not to test their captors. 

It was roughly another half hour before everyone was finished, the red haired woman coming back in with some...thing behind her. The ten of them stood, forming groups with whoever was closest, for Alex this meant clinging to King and Queenie. If the situation had been any different Dream probably would have found it funny, seeing as the couple were both smaller than Alex was.

" _ Well done _ ." The creature looked around at them with what  _ almost _ looked like a smile scrunching its face. Alex couldn't suppress the shudder than ran through her, trembling as she started at this… thing. It had too many eyes, beady things that covered most of its head, limbs fitting awkwardly against its slim body, almost like it was folded in on itself. Half of its… face was covered by a cloth attached to horns protruding from it's temples, shining black things that reminded Alex a bit of a ram's horns.

" _ Eight of you were able to finish the trials before others of this land, and two from other groups were also able to complete them within the same time frame. While none amongst you are in the condition we'd have preferred, physical prowess can be changed. The workings of a gifted mind are much more rare." _ The creature made an odd clicking sound, stepping further into the room, closer to the confused and frightened people, " _ You are the ones who shall save us." _

"Save you? What the muffin is going on?! What is this thing? Why do we have to save it?" Bad exclaimed, clinging to Skeppy's arm slightly with a deep frown marring his face. The creature turned its beady eyes to the man, repeating the odd clicking sound before it replied.

" _ I am one of many who have come to this planet in search of great minds, minds that work in special ways when solving trials such as the ones you all have passed. _ " The creature clicked again, taking another step into the room. It paused, its  _ horns _ twitching as it shifted its attention to Alex, " _ You are quite fearful, but you should not be. No harm shall befoul any of our saviors. I do advise that you be seated however, as your heart rate and breathing are climbing alarmingly fast." _

"I-I-" Alex was trembling, her death grip on Queenie being the only thing keeping her from falling to her knees and crying. Her vision was starting to blur as she struggled to breathe, she could feel her bottom lip tremble with the effort she was putting forth into holding back her tears. This was too much, it was frightening and confusing and Alex didn't understand what was  _ happening _ , what was this thing and what did it need her, need any of them for?!

"Cat? Cat, hey can you hear me?" Queenie frowned and grabbed her friend's hands, gently guiding her to a chair and nudging her into it, "Cat, can you answer me?"

"Is she okay?" Sapnap moved to take a step closer, feeling an odd bit of responsibility for the older woman, when Queenie held up a hand to stop him. He took notice of the way Alex flinched and stepped away, worry clear on his face.

"Not really, she's either having a panic or anxiety attack, I'm not sure which." Queenie gently rubbed one of Cat's hands between both of hers, trying to give her friend something to anchor on to, "Cat, I need you to answer me dude. Can you hear me?"

"I-I-Im sorry, I'm okay I-" Alex's voice was weak and cracking, tears finally spilling over though she ducked her head to hide them, "I'm so sorry-"

"Shh, hey. It's okay. You're okay." Queenie put her hands on Alex's cheeks and gave her face a small squish, "No need to be sorry, this whole thing is fucked as hell, it's not wonder you got worked up. Just focus on breathing, yeah?"

King silently moved to stand between the two women and the rest of the room, giving them a small amount of privacy. The creature made the odd clicking noise again and looked at Dream, who had put himself in the front of the group.

" _ We are part of the Archnidian Collective, a species of a planet many lightyears from this one."  _ The creature, no  _ alien,  _ explained, " _ Our home had been invaded by our long time enemies, the Bholphull, a blight upon the universe. We require ones who can think in ways we cannot, as a collective, in order to retake our home." _

"A collective… Like a hive mind?" Dream frowned at the alien, clenching and unclenching his hands to relieve some of the tension in his body. The Archnidian made a pleased sounding noise.

" _ So bright, so clever. You homosapians truly are a unique species. There are no minds that learn and adapt quite like yours."  _ The alien nodded, clicking a few more times before looking at the red haired woman, " _ These ones. The others of this land are unneeded. The ones from elsewhere are already gathered and decided." _

"Others?" Sapnap frowned, taking up a spot next to Dream. The woman nodded and turned to them.

"There are people from other countries that have similarly been chosen. All of you will be brought together within the next two weeks before you are taken to the ship for your departure."

"...You said… You said that your planet is lightyears away." Techno stood at Dream's other side, eyes narrowed suspiciously as he regarded the alien, "How… How would we get there?"

" _ Our ships have what you humans refer to as hyperdrive. The journey will feel to you as if four Earth years have passed." _ The alien explained. Alex sucked in a sharp breath, clam enough by now to listen to the conversation. She knew enough about science fiction to know that time works differently in hyperspace.

"How long… How much time will pass here?" Alex whispered, slowly looking up with a tear stained face.

The alien clicked a few more times and turned to her, " _ Clever clever, good questions. We believe that twenty Earth years will pass during the time it takes us to return to Archnda." _

"...We'll be gone… for a minimum of forty years?" Techno clenched his fists, glaring at the alien challengingly, "And… If we refuse?"

" _ All who are chosen must go. If even one refuses, we will destroy your cities until they agree."  _ The alien hissed, displeased by the question, " _ If refusal continues… Then we have no need of this planet." _

The room sat in stunned silence, processing this information. Either they had to go away, leave their friends and families for more that forty years, or the whole planet would be destroyed.

* * *

They were once again left in the meeting room to make their decision. The ten of them sat silently for a long time, in shock and disbelief. This couldn't be happening, this was the kind of shit that happened in movies, not real life. Alex put her head in her hands, tears once more streaming down her face. Forty years… Forty years, or the death of everyone she loved.

"...There's not really much of a choice, is there?" Bad spoke softly, looking around at everyone, "Either we go or… Or the whole planet…"

"....We make a deal." Alex found her voice, focusing on the anger simmering in her blood to push through the despair. She knew it would leave her numb and emotionless afterwards, but allowing rage to take over was better than sitting here in tears. She wiped her eyes and took a breath before looking around at everyone, "We make a deal with the red haired bitch-"

"Lang-" 

"I don't give a flying fuck right about my goddamn language." Alex snapped at Bad, completely unapologetic when the man flinched at the dark expression on her face, "Now shut up and listen. I don't know about any of you, and I don't really have the capacity to give a damn right now either, but I have a family that I'd prefer to be taken care of if I'm going to be off in space for forty fucking years. So, either every family of every person taking part in this bullshit lives lives of luxury to the point where they never have to work again, or the entire population of Earth can kiss my ass."

"...Holy shit." Queenie stared at her friend, her sweet, caring friend who always went out of her way to cheer people up when they were feeling down, in complete disbelief of the words that just came from her mouth. She knew Cat could get angry but… nothing like this. This was downright  _ scary. _

Alex just crossed her arms, her expression one of defiant determination as she looked at the others, "Well?"

"...Pretty sure our opinions don't matter to you." Dream looked at Alex with narrowed eyes, thinking as the woman shrugged.

"Benefits y'all too." She stated simply, digging her nails into her arms to hold onto her already ebbing anger. She needed to keep hold of it, just a bit longer, "We get them to write out a contract and have it signed by the president and whoever else is sending their citizens on this bullshit sci-fi mission."

Dream looked at her a moment longer before nodding, "You do have a point."

"Dream!" Bad looked at his friend, scandalized, "You can't sentence the entire world-"

"I can and I will." Dream looked at Bad with a pained expression, "My sister is still a kid, Bad. I'm going to miss seeing her grow up, the least I can do is assure her a future."

Sapnap let out a sigh and sat down heavily, putting his head in his hands, "Jesus Christ… This is actually happening."

"Are they going to let us say goodbye to anyone?" Skeppy frowned, sitting down as well.

"Dude, they brought me here without pants." Alex deadpanned, "I highly doubt they care." She looked at one of the guards in the room, "So how do we let that bitch know we're ready?"

The guard gave Alex a look before walking out of the room. Alex just rolled her eyes and slouched in her seat, pressing her lips into a thin line as she felt her emotions slipping further away. She hoped this worked. She couldn't just vanish and leave her family scrambling… Elliot would probably kill himself trying to find out what happened.

The guard returned with the woman and the alien, and Alex sat up straight, half hoping someone else would speak instead of her.

"So you've made your decision?" The woman looked at them with a neutral expression, the alien made a few more clicks, its eyes glinting in the harsh fluorescent lights.

"We have." Dream looked at them evenly standing tall, his jaw set firmly as he spoke slowly, "We'll go, on the condition that our families, and everyone else's involved, are provided for, to the point of complete luxury. We want this in writing and signed by the world leaders taking part, and if this is denied, then we will refuse to go."

Alex let out a small sigh of relief, watching the woman frown and glance at the creature beside her. The alien clicked a few more times before fixing its gaze on Alex.

"... _ You truly have a unique mind, so cold to those you do not know. You would sentence your whole planet to destruction?" _ It questioned, stepping closer. Dream frowned deeply, wondering how it had known it was Alex's idea. He quickly glanced around the room for cameras, sharing a look with Techno when he realized there were none. This thing was seriously freaky.

Alex took a deep breath and nodded, staring back as evenly as she could, "The lives of people I don't know mean nothing to me. If I'm going to be separated from the few people I care about, then I want them to live in absolute comfort."

" _ You have a very Archndian way of thought." _ The alien clicked in a lighter way than before, turning to the red haired woman, " _ You will comply with this demand." _

The woman frowned and pulled out a cellphone, "Let me contact the president and get a lawyer to write up a contract. We'll have someone bring in lunch."

With that, and a few more weird clicks from the alien, the ten of them were left alone once more. Alex's shoulders slumped and she pulled her hood before putting her arms on the table and laying her head in them. Queenie frowned and gently put a hand on her friend's back.

"Are you okay Cat?" She asked quietly, doing her best to ignore the questioning stares of the others in the room. Alex shrugged and peeked at the younger woman with dull, lifeless eyes.

"I don't know. Probably." Cat mumbled before putting her head back down, "Head kinda hurts."

"Is she mentally disabled or something?" The other woman in the room asked. She hadn't spoken the whole time they'd been there, but the look of disdain on her face as she glared at Alex made Queenie immediately glare back. She appeared older than most of them, blonde hair pulled back in a tight bun and cold grey eyes. She was also the most put together of all of them, wearing a sharp black pantsuit and expensive looking heels.

"No, she is not." Queenie growled defensively glancing at Cat as she barked out a laugh.

"Mentally defective more like." The woman sighed and raised her head to look at the blonde, "Who are you?"

"I'm-" The blonde woman was cut off by the door opening, revealing more guards and two other disheveled people.

"Dr. Cole and Ms. Bathory, please come with us." The guard allowed the two people with him to walk into the room before speaking. The blonde woman and the other man looked over in shock.

"Are you-  _ We _ didn't pass but these- These  _ children _ did?!" The man exclaimed, disbelief and anger in his voice as he stood.

"...That is correct sir. Please, follow me so you can be debriefed." The guard led them out, leaving the two new people in their place. Bad smiled as he recognized them.

"Antfrost, Karl!" He gave them a little wave, earning fond eyerolls and waves back, "Hi guys."

"...Wait. So. Us three aside, everyone in the US who passed and is being forced into space, is a minecraft player?" King snorted and shook his head as everyone seemed to realize the same thing, "How in the fuck…"

"Who even knows…" Sapnap shrugged and looked at Alex again. She looked exhausted, like she'd been drained of all energy. He took a seat near her and gave her a small, reassuring smile. Alex just stared at him before laying her head back down, but he didn't take any offense. This whole thing was insane.

* * *

Two weeks. They were given just two weeks to pack what they'd be taking with them; clothes, things of high sentimental value, items of entertainment, and oddly enough, a pet, if they had one. For Alex, clothes consisted of four pairs of jeans, a dozen or so t-shirts and tank tops, a couple of pairs of sleep pants, her Toothless onesie and her husband's hoodie. He insisted she take it and he'd keep her Christmas one in exchange, though Alex half believed that it was because she lied about how long she'd be gone. Just four years, she said, four years and she'd be home. The government would be paying them shit tons of money, and they guaranteed her safety.

Elliott believed her, believed the excuse of her unshakable sadness being fear for who might be gone by the time she came back and missing out on things in their lives. She had kid sisters, her mom was getting married, Elliott's sister was graduating next year… Alex was going to miss so much…

She packed her favorite books, before Elliott rolled his eyes and packed up all of them, claiming she hadn't read most of them anyway. It got Alex to laugh, a small smile remaining as she grabbed her oldest possession, a small stuffed duck she'd had since she was born, holding it tight to her chest before tucking it carefully in with her clothes. She packed her iPad, her Switch, a snow globe she'd gotten as a graduation present from her favorite aunt, and her favorite hats. She ended up hesitating on one of them, an Eevee hat… She gave it to Elliott's sister, knowing it was her favorite pokemon. The last things she packed was a commission picture that Skye had drawn for her, and a necklace Elliott had made when they were high schoolers. 

With all her things packed, Alex spent as much time with her family as she could. Her in-laws who had given her a home when she had none, and her blood relatives back in Ohio that she usually dreaded seeing. They all gathered together at her childhood home for her last week and a half on Earth. She thought it was a good thing the president had done a press conference, confirming her story before she told it. The armed guards that went with her everywhere cemented it.

The hardest thing aside from the actual goodbye, was choosing which animal to take with her. Brownie, the old pitbull she'd had since she was ten, Lily a fat tabby that was possibly the sweetest cat Alex had ever met, or Shiro who she always joked was her son. The Archndian had given them all devices to communicate with their pets, actually explain what was happening. Alex was shocked when Brownie gave her a wise word of advice.

"Take Shiro, we all know it's best. I'm old, sister, I don't think I would do you much good. He is a young, keen hunter who loves you fiercely. Lily and I love you too, but there are others who will need us when you are gone." The old pit had said, pressing his head against Alex's and giving a small lick to her cheek. Lily had agreed, butting her head against Alex's hand while Shiro curled up between his siblings. The animals rarely left her side until the day of departure.

Goodbyes were hard, especially when you knew you were lying to the people you were saying goodbye to. Alex hugged everyone tight enough she feared she might break them, barely holding back her own tears as she told them she'd be back soon. Her sisters bawled their eyes out while her mother sobbed openly, clinging to Alex like she might never let go. Skye could barely meet her eyes, having been entrusted with the truth, and a letter explaining everything. Alex gave her a weak smile and the biggest hug, pressing a kiss to dark hair.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as she adjusted the hate on the younger girl's head.

"You don't have a choice." Skye's voice was dull and quiet, breaking Alex's heart.

"I know. I'm still sorry." Alex sniffled before going to Elliott, finding herself in a bone crushing hug.

"Be safe." His voice was thick with emotion in a way Alex rarely ever heard, and she had to bite her lip to keep from blurting out the truth.

"I will. Keep out of trouble, and take care of everyone." Alex smiled up at him, giving his cheeks a squish before she heard a guard clearing his throat. "That's my cue… I love you, I love all of you so much."

Her family echoed the words back as she headed to the others chosen for this, taking a place between Sapnap and Queenie. She watched as Dream slowly moved away from his family, as a young boy she recognized as TommyInnit detangled himself from his mother, she saw Wilbur Soot walk away from a young woman, and Tubbo furiously wiping away tears as he moved away from his parents. Everyone that had been chosen was here today, though there were only about 20 per group. They would be put on different ships to reduce strain or make it easier to form bonds or some shit. There was a small crowd of people behind a small fence, a mix of press and friends and strangers. She glanced at Sapnap as he gave a cocky grin and waved to someone, or everyone, always a showman apparently.

"I would like to thank these brave individuals again for their selfless decision that will save our planet." The president spoke, standing at a podium in front of them while cameras clicked and flashed, "I would also like to apologize to those who they are leaving behind, as I know that nothing shall ever replace your loved ones place in your hearts, yours lives. But know that they will not be gone forever, know that they are doing their duty to this planet we all call our home, and know that they shall be safe."

Alex closed her eyes, blocking out most of the speech until it was time to board. With a final wave to her family, she turned away, walking with a heavy heart onto the ship that would take her away for nearly half a century.

SHIP ROSTER OMEGA AS TO BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC

The names shown are what they have insisted to go by, surnames redacted for the privacy of their families.

XXXX 'Dream' XXXXX

XXXXXX 'Sapnap' XXXX

XXXXX 'Cat' XXXXX

George XXXXXX

XXXXX 'Quackity' XXXXXX

XXXXX 'Antfrost' XXXXX

Wilbur XXXXX

XXXXX 'Tommy' XXXXX

XXXXX 'Pokimane' XXXX

XXXX 'Tubbo' XXXXX

XXXX 'King' XXXX

XXXX 'Queenie' XXXXXX

XXXX 'Bad' XXXXXX

XXX 'Skeppy' XXXXX

XXXX 'Techno' XXXX

Karl XXXXX

XXXX 'Fundy' XXXX

XXXX 'Eret' XXXX

XXXX 'Illumina' XXXX

XXXXX 'Philza' XXXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate chapter title: Exposition  
> chapter is expositional
> 
> Fun facts: Alexander was going to be my name had I been a boy, Jane is my baby sister's middle name and LaRue is my little sister's last name.  
> Elliott is my husband's middle name, and Skye is his sisters middle name.
> 
> The mental illnesses I mention are ones that I do truly have, I am not using them just for plot or to romanticize them in any way. I really do flinch when away from contact when I'm scared, I have anxiety and panic attacks when I get too stressed, and I do have issues with depression. 
> 
> If anyone wants to guess about the aliens: They're giant spider like creatures, hence the name 'Archnidian'. Arachnid with letters moved and missing.


	3. A Bit of Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonding between crewmates through angst.

Sapnap frowned as he stood outside the door to the room he shared with Cat, wondering if she had found a way to lock it again. Originally, when they'd first been divided up into the two apartment/dorm things Cat and Queenie were supposed to share while he had been set to room with King. After a short discussion he and Cat had agreed that since Queenie and King were a couple that they'd swap around so the two could be together.

It had been awkward as hell at first. Sapnap hadn't ever really shared a room with anyone before, let alone a woman he didn't know, but Cat had managed to get the aliens to give them things to section off their beds from the main part of the room, and then split that into halves to give them each some privacy while leaving a community space. However, Cat had stopped speaking after telling everyone her name at dinner the first day. Telling them all to just call her Cat before silent picking at her food.

Now he took a deep breath before trying the knob, relieved when he was able to open the door and peer around their room. He and Dream had run around most of the ship looking for her yesterday, and he hoped she had come back at some point in the night to rest. Sapnap made sure to close it behind him before hesitantly calling out.

"...Alex? Are you in here?" He stood just outside her part of the room, straining his hearing for any kind of sound. When he didn't get a response he slowly moved the curtain aside, sighing in mild relief when he found the woman curled up under her blankets, asleep wearing that silly onesie she'd brought with her. 

Careful not to make any sound, Sapnap closed the curtains and shut off the lights before heading out of the room. He walked out to the living room and plopped down beside Dream with a sigh.

"She's asleep." Sapnap said as he leaned against his taller friend, enjoying his comforting presence. Dream hummed in thought, mindlessly messing with little beams of light and making his hands briefly invisible.

That was something the aliens had done within the first few weeks, after fixing any physical problems, they had given everyone compatible with the technology special abilities. For Dream, the ability he gained was controlling light, able to make himself or others around him in a small radius invisible, create illusions, he once even plunged everyone into complete darkness in the middle of training, winning the match for his team. There were probably other ways he could use it, but that was all Sapnap had seen.

Sapnap's ability was much simpler. Like many a fanart had predicted, he could control fire and was completely immune to its heat. At Techno's suggestion he used it to regulate his body temperature, becoming a literal human heater that had almost everyone snuggling up to him when given the chance. George was his opposite, controlling water and ice, which caused him to constantly feel cold to anyone who touched him. George didn't really care, shrugging and smirking as he tried to make a joke.

"I swear to everything holy and otherwise if you make a Frozen reference, I will kill you." Cat had snarled, eyes narrowed and daring George to test her. The older of the two had wisely snapped his mouth shut and raised his hands in surrender. The memory still made Sapnap snicker, for someone small and quiet, Cat could be straight up terrifying when she wanted to be.

Cat's ability was fascinating to most of them, it was something between shapeshifting and adapting to things around her. If Dream caused a blackout, she could see in the dark, if she was training with Sapnap, her skin became heat resistant scales. Against George she grew thick, and very soft according to Bad, fur to stay warm. They were all animal traits, yet she claimed to not be able to fully change into anything. Dream had straight called bullshit and spent weeks trying to cause something to make her fully turn into an animal, yet the one to succeed had been Tommy.

The young blonde had an ability over soundwaves, able to throw and increase the volume of sounds around him, though he usually just used his voice. The first thing he learned was to create an unholy screech that had nearly shattered everyone's eardrums. On one of the free days they were given, Cat had been allowed to use the kitchen in the cafeteria. She didn't really say why, but she'd decided to cook for everyone that day. Tommy had managed to sneak up behind her and let out one of his shouts right in her ear. The woman had screamed in fright, the knife in her hand dropping onto the cutting board while Cat seemed to vanish, a large black blur racing from the kitchen.

A pile of clothes was left on the floor where she had been, a shocked Tommy just staring at it before laughing and calling everyone into the kitchen to retell his tale. Cat had stomped into the room in pajamas just as he finished talking, and everyone's laughs had silenced at the sight of fluffy ears and a proofed up, striped tail on the young woman, her hair raised like a frightened kitten. She'd grabbed her clothes before glaring at Tommy and leaving, telling everyone to cook for themselves instead. Sapnap was still surprised they managed to hold back their laughs until after she had left again.

She adamantly refused to tell them what she turned into, and had ended up getting Tommy back during training the next day. She'd dropped from a tree and kicked Tommy into a giant puddle of mud before sprinting off, the fact that he was on her team be damned.

Sapnap thought the two had a lot in common for people who never got along, he was jolted out of his musings when George flicked his forehead.

"You get lost in there or something dude?" George raised a brow, sitting down by Sapap and leaning against him.

"Just thinking about how crazy this shit is." Sapnap laughed, grabbing George's hand and watching as steam rose from their connected skin, "Aliens and superpowers. Sounds like a bad movie."

"Or a fanfiction." Dream quipped, taking hold of Sapnap's other hand and toying with his fingers, "...Do you think she'll be okay?"

"Who?" George looked at them, curiously tilting his head.

"Cat. She got a video from her husband today…" Sapnap sighed and looked at the older man, "Her dog died."

George grimaced and glanced down the hallway, flooded with sympathy and concern, "Damn… Training starts soon though, and I doubt they'll let her take a day off from it, shouldn't we wake her?"

"I'll go, you muffins just get ready." Bad piped up from where he was eating an apple in their little kitchenette, tossing the core in the trash before heading down the hall. They all had a soft spot for their quiet roommate, something born out of the camaraderie of being stuck together and the way she would silently take care of everyone. She found out birthdays and made cakes and favorite foods, took time to make small gifts or even give away one of her precious books in Bad's case. Cat could definitely be odd and scary, but Bad had an inkling she just wasn't very good at interacting with people. He saw how she would laugh and lean against Queenie and King, people who knew her a bit better, yet even with them it seemed she held herself back.

The way she would run and hide when she got overwhelmed was a huge tell, by the time she would willingly reemerge there would be a too bright smile on her face and all concerns would be pushed aside for training. Bad knocked on Cat and Sap's door before quietly pushing it open, "Hey Cat? You gotta get up muffinhead, you need to eat something before training."

Unlike Sapnap or Dream, Bad wouldn't call Cat by her real name anymore. Her quiet request to just be known as Cat had struck him deeply. She didn't want to be reminded of things she left behind, and her name was obviously something she didn't like hearing for that very reason. It was private, reserved for the loved ones she'd left behind. Bad slowly padded into the room when he got no response, poking his head through the curtain that blocked her bed from the rest of the room. He smiled softly at the blanket cocoon he was met with, gently tapping what he thought was her shoulder, "Hey you muffin, don't ignore me."

Cat slowly poked her head out of the blanket, eyes taking a moment to focus on him as she sat up. Bad took in her puffy eyes and red nose, slowly opening his arms as he took a seat on the edge of her bed, "You look like you could use a hug…"

Cat frowned, her lip wobbling as fresh tears sprung to her eyes before she pulled up the hood of her onesie to hide them, resolutely shaking her head. Her voice was quiet and shaky when she spoke, cracking with held back emotion, "I-I'm oka-"

"You're not." Bad gently put his hand on her shoulder, "You're not and that's fine. You don't have to be okay, no one expects you to be okay after finding out that something dear to you is gone."

Cat's gaze snapped up to meet his own, and Bad offered her a sympathetic smile, "I've lost pets before, but this situation… You feel guilty because you couldn't be there, right?" He waited until she gave a small node before continuing, "You can't help that you're stuck here, but I'm sure that your dog knew you loved them very much and did not hold it against you."

Cat sniffled and slowly leaned against his shoulder, shaking slightly, "...His name was Brownie… He was in my life since I was ten… H-He was such-  _ Such _ a good dog…" The tears finally broke free as a wave of sobs overtook the younger woman, and Bad gently wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back and letting her cry. 

"H-He…. Before we- Before we left they let me, let me talk to him. Really, really talk to him." Cat whispered, clutching Bad's shirt with trembling hands. Her heart felt so shattered, reminding her that everything she loved would be  _ gone _ by the time she got home, that her family would grow without her and eventually people would start dying too. Cat was so, so terrified of the days when she'd get those messages, and to her it wouldn't even feel like she was gone so long… She took a shaky breath before trying to speak again, "S-So he knew- He knew I wouldn't be back and.. He t-told me to bring Shiro and I, I love Shiro but Brownie was… He was something  _ good _ from when I was a kid… H-He was my buddy…"

Bad nodded as she spoke, giving her a small squeeze to remind her that he was there, he was listening, "He knew you loved him then, he knew."

Cat nodded, her tears finally slowing as she pulled away and wiped her eyes, "...I hope so…"

Bad smiled and patted her head, "He knew." The older man stood and held out his hand, "Come on you muffin, let's get you some food."

Cat's lips twitched a bit before forming a soft smile and letting Bad pull her to her feet, "Let me get dressed."

"Oh right, sorry." Bad laughed softly and quickly moved outside of the curtain surrounding Cat's part of the room. It didn't take her long to put on the weird training suit the people with abilities had been given. They were an odd, shimmering black skin tight material that changed to suit each person. Sapnap's didn't burn, Dream's turned invisible, and Cat's didn't vanish should she fully shift into an animal.

Cat took a moment to tie her hair back into a small fluffy tail, a few locks falling out and framing her face. She huffed and walked out from the curtain, not bothering with shoes. She walked to the kitchen with Bad and started rummaging around for a bagel, "I need a haircut… This shit's getting too long."

"But you look soo cute with longer hair!" Queenie laughed from the living room, relieved that her friend seemed in better spirits than before.

Cat rolled her eyes and got some cream cheese from the fridge, ignoring looks from… well, everyone really, "It's a pain to take care of, and it gets snagged on shit during training."

Bad was the first to recover from his shock, gently bopping Cat on the head, "Language."

"You might be older than me but that doesn't mean I'm going to listen." Cat laughed softly, taking a giant bite of her bagel.

"...Think ya got enough bagel with that cream cheese?" Sapnap snickered and relaxed, trying not to seem too giddy at Cat's decision to speak.

"Fuck off I do what I want." Cat looked him dead in the eyes as she shoved the other half in her mouth, causing the younger man to burst out laughing. 

George wrinkled his nose slightly, "You could choke doing that."

"If I haven't by now, I doubt I ever will." Cat took a moment to grab a bottle of water, "I've been eating like that since I realized how much I could fit in my mouth."

"...I'm sorry what?" King stopped in the doorway fixing Cat with a startled look.

"I know what I said." Cat smirked back, the golden flecks in her eyes glimmering mischievously… She was entirely too used to shoving her feelings away and faking being okay. She knew Bad said it was fine to not be okay but… She already brought down the mood enough regularly, they didn't need to have to put up with her being a stupid crybaby on top of it.

Dream watched his quiet roommate with slightly narrowed eyes. He saw the way Bad was staying relatively close to Cat, brushed their arms together every so often or just bumping against her when she cursed. It was something he'd seen the cats, the actual cats, do when one of them was upset. A reminder that they weren't alone… Honestly Dream was surprised Cat was allowing Bad to do that she usually stayed away from everyone when she was upset.

"Oookay, enough talking about how big Cat's mouth is, we need to get to training." Skeppy rolled his eyes and started directing everyone towards the door, wrapping an arm around Bad's shoulders as they walked to the training hall. The others were already waiting, and Skeppy frowned as he saw Tubbo talking quietly to an unusually solemn Tommy.

Their trainer, an Archndian who had studied human military training, clicked it's pincers in greeting. After boarding the ship, they had shed the awkward robes and face coverings that they had worn on Earth… Quite a few of them had made horrified sounds, but Skeppy had seen Cat almost faint. Even now her skin turned pale and her hair fluffed up slightly at the sight of the giant spider creature, finally free to drop onto half of its legs and unwrap the rest of its furred torso. He watched as Dream and Sapnap both moved to block her from view, as they were prone to do around the aliens.

"Greetings saviors." The Archndian clicked again, it's glimmering black eyes covering over them quietly, "Today's training shall be team based however… Savior Cat and Savoir Tommy, due to your increased emotional instability, the two of you shall instead focus on the digital trials."

Cat's head snapped up, wide eyes turning to Tommy in blatant concern. The blonde just scowled back, stepping towards the creature.

"I dunno what you're on about, m'perfectly fine." He snarled, the sound resonating around them sharply.

"These are orders from the captain." The alien replied simply, undeterred by the teenager's anger, "Everyone else please file into the simulation room, the team leaders are Saviors Wilbur and Dream."

Cat frowned as she watched everyone slowly follow the alien's instructions, still too unsure of what would happen should they disobey their captors. She sighed heavily and started walking to the room where they practiced the digital puzzles, glancing behind her to be sure Tommy was following.

Tommy was  _ pissed _ , not only did his parents decide to drop a fucking bomb on him, he was stuck spending the day with little miss 'oh woe is me' instead of Tubbo and taking out his anger with their dumb training. He wanted to  _ scream _ , loud enough to shatter glass, make ears bleed… Loud enough that his parents would hear it back on Earth. 

So lost in his thoughts Tommy didn't notice Cat change their direction, leading the young man to the kitchen instead of the puzzle room. By the time he snapped out of it the woman was climbing up onto the counter and rummaging through the cabinets.

"What are you doing?" Tommy glared, crossing his arms, "They said we have to go to the damn puzzle room, or are you deaf as well as mute now?"

"...You like pancakes, right? With fruit and whipped cream?" Cat asked softly, glancing over at him as she set down a big glass bowl next to a frying pan before shuffling to a different cabinet.

Tommy blinked in surprise, his eyebrows scrunching up in confusion as he watched her get ingredients for the aforementioned food, "I- How the fuck do you know that?"

"...I asked Wilbur." She shrugged, finally hopping off the counter and grabbing one of the aprons hanging from a hook. Bad had been the one to bring it, it had a bunch of cute little dogs and cats in it. Cat took a deep breath and continued speaking, her voice soft and hesitant, "I… I like to cook, it's… Calming. Takes my mind off things and makes me focus on what my hands are doing… So I um… I asked Wilbur and Bad to learn everyone's favorite foods so… So when they were upset or homesick I could make them…

"I'm not all that good of a cook, but it'll be edible." Cat laughed nervously as she finally met Tommy's eyes, and he instantly hated the concern he was swimming in the burnt orange orbs, "I… I don't know what happened and I won't ask but um… Comfort food usually makes me feel a little better so um.. Y-Yeah. Pancakes."

"...Why the fuck do you care?" Tommy growled, though at this point it was all for show. He hadn't expected the woman who he fought with constantly to give a rat's arse about how he was feeling, and honestly he was kind of touched… Not that he intended to let her know that.

Cat flinched  _ hard _ at his tone, taking a small step back and looking away as she gripped the fabric of the apron with trembling hands, "...I… I like you guys, and I don't like seeing any of you upset."

"That why you never talk? Never want to make anyone upset with the stupid bullshit that comes out of your mouth?" Tommy sneered, not at all believing her excuse.

Cat flinched again and dropped her gaze to the floor, "....yeah… m'sorry, this was- this was stupid." She turned around and started cleaning up, shoulders hunched to make herself smaller.

Tommy felt a stab of guilt, running a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh, moving away a tad to give Cat more space, "...My parents are. They. My mum's pregnant."

Cat blinked and slowly stopped in her hasty cleaning as she turned around to give Tommy her full attention. Her eyes flickered over his features, taking in fear and insecurity, a vulnerability usually reserved for his closer friends. Cat took a slow breath and calmed her frayed nerves, thumb flicking down against her forefinger as she gathered her thoughts.

"...Did you know that I have fifteen siblings?" Cat offered with a half smile watching as Tommy did a double take, his brows scrunching together a bit. Cat chuckled and leaned against the counter, smiling a bit more as she continued, "My parents weren't married, heck technically I'm the product of an affair. My father dipped not long after I was born, and my mom was… Not someone who should have been a mom.

"She's not the one with all the kids though, I'm one of my father's younger children. I think I'm like, eleven out of fourteen." She watched as Tommy took in her words, clearly confused as to what this had to do with what he had told her, "I'm the eldest of three for my mother. Riz was born when I was nine and Anna when I was twelve. We all have different fathers and don't look particularly related, but I love those little twats more than I can tell you… Even if I ended up becoming the forgotten child."

Cat gave Tommy a gentle smile as she saw him stiffen and narrow his eyes, mouth set in the angry snarl she was accustomed to seeing. She quickly continued talking, before he could start yelling.

"You're not like me though. You're not quiet and forgettable." Cat breathed a sigh of relief as Tommy closed his mouth again, "You're loud and obnoxious, lovable and honest. Your parents are good, loving people who care for you deeply, this child will not replace you whatsoever. You may not be able to form an attachment to the kid, distance makes that hard but… Your parents  _ will not _ love you any less, Tommy."

Her voice had grown quiet towards the end, and Cat dropped her gaze when she saw tears gather in Tommy's eyes. She turned away and once more started on making pancakes, giving the teen some privacy. She hummed softly as she went about making the batter, drowning out Tommy's quiet sniffles with the noise.

"...You're not forgettable either." Tommy muttered, swiping at his eyes and crossing his arms as the woman half turned, a brow raised in silent question, "You're… A mom friend, always mother henning people. And you're weird, and scary sometimes."

Cat snorted and shook her head with a little smile as she focused on pouring batter into the pan, "Tommy my mother and Nana once forgot I was in the car with them when we were going shopping, and it was a two hour drive."

Tommy rolled his eyes, "You just said she's a shite mother-"

"Yes but I'm the only one allowed to insult her so watch it." Cat turned and leveled him with a glare, picking up her whisk and flicking batter at Tommy's face.

Tommy spluttered and grabbed a handful of flour, "Oh you wanna fight, do ya?"

"Don't you dare- TOMMY!" Cat screeched, laughing loudly as Tommy launched the floor right at her face, "Do you want me to burn your pancakes, you brat?!"

"You started it!" Tommy snickered, yelping when a batter covered hand ran down his face.

"You are such a child." Cat snickered, ducking out of the way of another handful of flour, a grin stretching ear to ear on her face and eyes shining with mirth.

"I'm a child?! You flicked batter at me!" Tommy laughed and picked up an egg, launching it at the back of Cat's head. She turned just in time to dodge again, causing the small projectile to fly past her… And right into Technoblade's face.

Cat and Tommy both froze, watching the pink haired man slowly wipe the egg off his face. Cat couldn't recall ever talking to Techno about anything other than training, and Tommy knew the man had a mischievous streak a mile wide.

"....I come here, wonderin' where you two wandered off to while the rest of us were hard at work, on the request of Tubbo because he's  _ so _ worried… And you two are in here throwin' food around?" Techno narrowed his eyes at the two, watching Cat shrink away slightly and Tommy shuffle from foot to foot, "...I suppose the only thing to do here… Is this!"

The older man grabbed the vegetable sprayer from the sink and squeezed the handle as he turned on the cold water, laughing maniacally as the two yelped and ran, trying to avoid the spray as best they could. Techno didn't turn off the water until the two, and the floor, were soaked and pouting.

"That'll teach you to waste food." Techno laughed, not paying attention to the way Cat was creeping closer. Once he was distracted by his own ego, Cat jumped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a tight, cold hug.

"Lesson learned." Cat grinned, giggling at Techno's startled yelp as he tried to get away before the water could seep into his clothes. Cat let him easily push her off, laughing as she leaned against the counter. She felt so much better than she had this morning… All she needed was a laugh and a good distraction.

Tommy huffed and looked at the woman, opening and closing his mouth a few times before he caught a wiff of smoke, "Uh Cat? The pancakes are burning."

"Fuck-" Cat moved to the stove and carefully yanked the pan off the burner, cringing as she scraped the ruined food into the bin, "...I blame Techno."

"Yeah, s'all your fault big man." Tommy shook his head in mock disappointment, snickering at Techno's flat look.

"Yeah, just blame the guy who came to make sure you hadn't killed each other." Techno rolled his eyes and started cleaning up all the water on the floor. Cat and Tommy both laughed, the blonde moving to help Techno clean while Cat started up cooking again, more relaxed than she had been in months.

The others eventually wandered into the dining area for lunch, to be greeted with plates of fresh pancakes and fruit, bacon and toast. Techno and Tommy were sitting at a table, laughing at some story Techno was telling, hands waving around as he spun his tale. Sapnap glanced around while everyone else found somewhere to sit, wandering into the kitchen and smiling a bit when he found Cat at the stove. 

"Hey um-" He stopped when the woman jumped and turned, holding up his hands to show he meant no harm, "Sorry I-"

"N-No no, you're fine." Cat transferred the eggs she was working on to a plate before shutting off the burner and turning to him fully, doing that thing she did with her thumb when she got nervous. Sapnap had made a passing joke once that it looked like she was trying to light a lighter, and she'd laughed and shook her head.

"I just um… Thank you for lunch and uh.." Sapnap wanted to ask if she was okay, he really did but he didn't know if he'd get a real answer. He heard someone walk up beside him, and he wasn't surprised to find Dream there.

Cat seemed to debate something, eyes flicking to Dream before she walked forward, a timid look on her face as she stopped in front of them, "Thank you, for… For staying with me then, for being there I… I'm sorry for… Screaming and running and… Well. Everything." She cringed and dropped her gaze, struggling to find what she wanted to say before Sapnap gently tapped the top of her head.

He smiled when she looked up at him, arms opening lightly in a silent offer. He ignored the cheeky look Dream gave him, wondering if he was going too far when Cat smiled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged Sapnap tightly. The younger man relaxed as he wrapped his arms around the woman, laughing as Dream opened his arms for a hug too as they parted. Cat giggled and tucked her head under the blonde's chin after parting from Sapnap, and Dream smiled as he gave her a small squeeze.

"Thank you." She half whispered as she moved away, swiping at the wetness that had gathered in her eyes as she smiled at these two, overly kind men, "It really means a lot."

"You're welcome, Cat." Dream said with a smile, "Are you going to come eat with everyone?"

"In a minute, I promise. You two should probably go before all the good stuff is gone though." Cat laughed and went back to the stove, humming something under her breath as Sapnap and Dream took her advice, plopping down next to George and filling plates with food. They trusted the woman to join them when she was ready.

* * *

Cat was much more approachable after that, she was still fairly quiet and kept to herself, but she would laugh and smile when she was invited to sit next to Sapnap or Dream. On off days when they would sit around and watch movies, she would lean against them or Bad, possibly even drape her legs over them when she felt like it.

She'd still bicker and clash with Tommy, their personalities just weren't very compatible, but there was no real heat behind the words they'd throw at each other. Wilbur had told George that even if he would never admit it, Tommy was determined to repay the woman for whatever it was she had done to help him. George still didn't speak to her much, but he wouldn't avoid her if she was sitting alone anymore.

It had become a habit, in the months before Cat had started to open up, for the two of them to avoid being alone together for too long. It appeared that they had oddly similar habits, wandering off to be alone when their social battery ran out, quietly zoning out while sitting by a window. They often ended up in the same places; the dining area, a corner of the library, even the simulation room a few times, but once they came out of their heads enough to notice the other they'd silently agree to leave and not speak about it.

George had thought that things would stay relatively the same, they never really spoke after all, but Cat apparently thought differently. One of the days he had wandered to the simulation room, surprised to find it already set up in a version of a park, rain pouring from the ceiling/sky with a figure resting on a bench under a large tree. 

Cat's eyes were closed, face tilted up to the rain in a sad little smile that George hated yet had seen more than any other expression. He was about to turn and leave when he heard Cat sigh.

"I miss it, real rain. This stuff just doesn't smell right, not… Cleansing like back home, yanno?" Cat was looking at him from the corner of her eyes, and she patted the spot on the bench beside her, "You can change the settings if you want, but you don't have to leave."

"I didn't know if it was okay to stay." George said awkwardly, moving to sit next to her and stare out at the downpour, "...I miss it too, curling up with a hot drink while a storm raged outside. There was something calming about it, the usual noises of London drowned out by raindrops."

Cat hummed and nodded, leaning against George ever so slightly, "...My dog hated the rain, he was afraid of thunder and didn't like getting wet."

"What kind of dog was he?" George asked quietly, wanting to let the woman know it was okay to share her thoughts, to let it be washed away in the rain.

"A pit lab mix. He was smaller than most pits, he'd gotten parvo as a puppy and didn't grow all the way." She chuckled softly and closed her eyes again, "His fur was the color of a perfectly roasted marshmallow, a really pretty golden brown that matched his eyes perfectly… Even as an old dog he had puppy eyes, it took a lot not to give him food when he begged."

"He sounds like he was cute." George smiled and watched drops fall into a puddle near their feet, unsure if it was from the rain or not.

"He was… He was the best dog. We could let him out in the front yard and not worry he would run away, and he rarely ever barked loudly or made lots of noise." Cat sniffled quietly, and George put his hand over hers, "He wasn't mine at first, he was my cousin's dog. She got him for her birthday one year and… When she moved out she couldn't take him, and since I lived with my uncle at the time I promised to take care of him until she found a place that allowed dogs but… Things. Things went bad and I had to leave but I didn't want to leave Brownie with someone who was never home so I took him with me when I went to live with El- Elliot…"

George frowned as Cat's voice trailed off, turning to look at her fully. She was staring at her left hand, where her rings…  _ Usually _ were…

"...We made a promise when we got married." The woman whispered, barely heard over the pitter patter of raindrops, "If either of us was ever hurt and put into a coma or… died, that we would accept it and move on after a while… I told… I told him that the rules apply for… And h-he…"

George wasn't good at comforting people, not at all, but even he knew that what Cat needed was something to hold on to. He gently wrapped his arms around her, allowing the dark haired woman to tuck her head under his chin as she cried.

"I-I told him it was okay, I knew… H-He always wanted a family, a bunch of kids and… And I didn't but I would have- But then this-" Cat was having a hard time organizing her thoughts, the chill that Geroge gave off barely anchoring her to the moment, "So I told him it was okay to- To move on when he was ready to find- Find someone he could have a f-family with and-"

"That's enough Cat." George shushed her quietly, gently rubbing her back in small circles, "It's… You're allowed to be upset about it, you're allowed to be hurt… You love this man a lot, don't you?" He waited for a nod before continuing, "And you want him to be happy… Even if you're not… So you're forcing yourself to step away for he can be happy and that's admirable but… Don't bottle up your pain, you'll hurt yourself more…"

"...Are we still talking about me, George?" Cat sniffled and laughed at his startled look, wiping her eyes with a tired smile, "You're not as good at hiding it as you think you are, they're just oblivious."

George felt his face warm slightly and he looked away to hide his embarrassment, "I… Don't tell them."

"I won't." Cat huffed and leaned against him again, "...So long as you take your own advice and stop bottling things up."

"...We should get out of the rain." George murmured and stood, tugging Cat to her feet.

"If we must." She sighed, allowing him to lead her out of the room. Neither paid enough attention to notice the person that ducked around the corner as they came out, face filled with dejection at the sight of their linked hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy, sorry this is late but uh. In my defense, I never promised consistent updates.
> 
> Seriously tho, work had been hell and its left me exhausted the past few weeks. Hopefully I can get this finished up soon tho! 
> 
> Thank you for reading, I hope you're enjoying this at least a bit! Feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think!
> 
> Also, I do stream a bit so if ya want you can come check that out!
> 
> http://www.twitch.tv/a_clockwork_cat?sr=a


	4. It's been a Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A years has passed since they first boarded the ship, and we see some moments between a few people.

It had been nearly a year since their departure before they were given two full weeks off from training. Their coach or whatever had proclaimed them all at a decent enough level to deserve it, and Eret nearly cried with relief. The rigorous workouts had only gotten harder as time progressed, the aliens upping the ante everytime they got better.

He couldn't help but notice that Cat and Poki both seemed a bit more subdued by this news, almost like they weren't happy about it. He still wasn't overly close with either woman, especially given Cat's weird tendency to start giggling whenever he came into the room, but he brushed it off pretty easily, she did the same thing with Wilbur sometimes so it wasn't anything personal. As they headed back to their shared common area, a large room with two long L shaped couches, two TVs, some coffee tables and a few beanbag chairs, a thought occurred to him.

"Cat, is your birthday in summer?" He looked to the orange eyed woman curiously. She was always very adamant about celebrating birthdays and holidays, because, in Cat's own words, 'while technically more time had passed on Earth to them it had been less to them and damnit they would celebrate.' Eret had always thought it was kind of her, a distraction from anything they had lost while away and a reminder that there were people who cared here. Yet, she had never mentioned her own, so Eret wondered if it had passed before their journey started.

"Wait, isn't it around the same time as mine?" Queenie asked and turned to her friend with a pout. Cat blinked slowly, looking off to the side, then up, and to the other side in a way that meant she was thinking.

"Oh. I guess I'm twenty four… Whoops." She shrugged with a little half smile.

"Whaddya mean 'whoops'?! Tubbo and I have been planning for ages-" Tommy cut himself off and looked away as Cat turned to him in surprise, a shit eating grin crawling onto her face. It was the same one she got when Tommy had announced his baby sister was being named Catherine. 

"Well I'm sorry I ruined whatever surprise you had planned Tommy." Cat teased with a laugh, shoulders shaking a bit as she tried to remain semi-serious, "I just kinda forgot."

"How do you forget your own birthday?" Eret asked with a raised brow as Cat flopped down beside Sapnap and tossed her legs over his lap.

"I'm a moron?" She replied with a shrug, and hand rising to play with the necklace she always had on, the various metal trinkets clinking against each other.

"You're literally one of the smartest people on the ship." Dream rolled his eyes and took up residence on Sapnap's other side.

"I'm literally not." Cat rolled her eyes right back, shifting around slightly so George could sit behind her, while Bad and Skeppy sat on the floor in front of them. Eret always found it funny and cute how the Dream Team plus Cat always found a way to squish together. If not the Dream Team, then Cat was with King and Queenie, sometimes with Wilbur and Tommy and Tubbo near them.

"Point remains, we've missed your birthday Cat." Wilbur gave her a crooked smile as he leaned against the cushions of the adjacent sofa, "We have these two weeks off-"

"There are better things to do than make a fuss over me." Cat huffed softly and nudged Bad out of the way so she could get up, stretching as she walked out of the room, "I'm gonna nap, wake me up when there's food please."

"Will do." Sapnap laughed and grabbed George's hand, watching the steam rise, "...So, surprise party for Cat?"

"Hell yea-" Tommy started, before being cut off by George.

"I don't know if that'd be a good idea." George frowned and leaned on Sapnap's shoulder, "If I remember correctly, her birthday is just a week off of her wedding anniversary… It might be why she didn't bring it up."

"Shit yeah, forgot about that." Queenie grimaced and ran a hand through her hair, "And with everything that happened with her husband.."

"Did something happen to him?" Dream asked, frowning in concern. She didn't talk about him much, be he knew Cat loved her husband more than anything. He shoved off the slight discomfort of George being so close to Cat that he knew things only Queenie usually would, whoever Cat opened up to it was good, it meant she was finally becoming comfortable with them and would probably start talking to everyone else soon, and George was allowed to be friends with anyone he wanted.

"Ah…" George glanced at Queenie and grimaced again, "If she didn't tell you then… I don't know if I should…"

"He's alive and well, if that's your concern." Queenie shrugged, saving George from the looks being sent his way, "Other than that… It's Cat's choice whether or not she tells you."

"...Does it have to do with why she doesn't wear her rings anymore?" Wilbur asked softly, taking the resigned looks the two gave as confirmation, "So either they divorced somehow or… He moved on."

Tommy was taken aback, expression quickly filling with anger at the mere thought, "What the fuck?!"

"Language you muffin!" Bad admonished halfheartedly. He understood why Tommy was so angry, Cat was a precious friend at this point, it was baffling to think someone would just… Abandon her like that.

"...She told him to. Move on, I mean." George sighed heavily, looking at everyone with a frown, "They had an agreement that if one of them died or something the other would eventually move on and… For him it's been eight years."

They all fell silent at the reminder, so much time had passed and yet they had barely felt a year go by. Tommy calmed, just slightly, and crossed his arms with a huff. He still didn't agree with it, but it explained why Cat had never said anything.

"But to just… How could he leave someone so kind?" Tubbo asked quietly, a voice to all their thoughts. The brunette teen looked like he was about to cry from just thinking about it, Cat had always seemed so lonely and yet she always tried to take care of everyone, so for someone she loved to find someone else just… "That's just not _fair_."

"None of this has been fair, Tubbo." Philza said, sighing as he shook his head, "I don't want to remind her of something that brings her pain but… I think we should throw her a small party anyway, if not for her birthday then… As a thank you, for always taking care of the rest of us." 

Sapnap watched everyone smile and nod, murmuring their quiet agreements. He grinned and squeezed Dream's hand excitedly, "When should we do it?"

"This week." Pokimane suddenly spoke up, a slight blush coming to her face as she looked over at Queenie, "Before Saturday, right?"

Queenie looked confused for a moment before realization dawned on her, "Shit, that's next week?"

"Yeah…" Poki grimaced and avoided looking at anyone but Queenie, "So it _has_ to be before Saturday."

"Yeah, before Saturday." Queenie nodded, looking at everyone, "....We should probably explain, shouldn't we?"

"Do we have to? It's so embarrassing." Poki groaned, crossing her arms with a pout.

"Are you um… Talking about your uh…" Skeppy made a few awkward hand gestures, not really wanting to say it aloud. Everyone looked equally as uncomfortable, except for the few with sisters and Wilbur, who rolled his eyes.

"...Oh good lord, really? You're grown adults and can't say period?" Wilbur raised a brow, rolling his eyes at the disgusted faces Tommy and Tubbo pulled.

"Uh… Yeah no, not… Quite. Kind of." Queenie sighed and fidgeted with her snap back as she thought of how to put this, "We don't get those, the aliens give us medicine every few months for that but they have… side effects that are usually held at bay by training but without it…"

Poki nodded and shifted in her seat, "Yeah… God I'm glad I have my own room…"

"So what is it then? I've never noticed anything weird with Cat." Sapnap frowned, wondering how this would affect his roommate.

"....Well. It's um." Queenie shot a glance over at their younger shipmates, "... You know how people compare periods to animals?"

Sapnap tilted his head, confused, "Uh…"

"Oh. _Oh_." Dream's eyes widened and his face went kind of pink as he looked over at Queenie, "Like a heat?"

"...I was trying to avoid saying it, but yeah. All the training would help get rid of the excess energy but uh…" Queenie grimaced and stood, "So yeah, we have to have the party or whatever before Saturday… I'm going to make something to eat." She gave a small wave before leaving with King.

"....What's a heat?" Tubbo looked over at Dream curiously. The older man just shook his head with an awkward smile.

"Just don't worry about it, Tubbo." Wilbur patted the teen's head before steering the topic back to the surprise party.

* * *

_It's fucking irritating_ , Sapnap thought, _When you live with someone for a fucking year and barely know anything about them_.

While brainstorming about the party earlier everyone had come to a shocking realization, and that was that none of them, aside from Queenie and George, knew beyond basic information about Cat. Tommy and King knew how many siblings she had, and Bad knew about her dog, but most other things were… Beyond their grasp. Favorite color? Queenie thought it was purple but it could also be pink or red, with how Cat would dye her hair every so often. Favorite food? She made a few things she mentioned enjoying but never called anything a favorite. Preferred cake flavor? Again, when making everyone else their cakes she never mentioned which she liked best.

King did recall Cat once saying she liked mint chip ice cream, so at least they knew that. But presents or decorations? No one had any ideas. When Dream had asked George for ideas, the older man had frowned and crossed his arms.

"I don't think we should have a party at all, Dream. She didn't mention her birthday for a reason, we should respect that." George had left before anyone could argue, and Dream had looked like a kicked puppy for the remaining hour they spent talking.

Sapnap felt guilty as hell, he was the one who shared a room with Cat and he felt like he knew less than anyone about her. He paused outside their door, counting off on his hands the things he knew about Cat.

  1. Her name was Alex.
  2. She liked cats.
  3. She liked How to Train Your Dragon.
  4. She liked anime, based off the few t-shirts with characters on them.
  5. She liked lots of different music, she had weird ass playlists for when she was cooking.
  6. She was twenty four.
  7. She had a lot of siblings but only knew 2.
  8. She liked games, though he couldn't think of any specific ones. 
  9. She loved reading….



...That was it. Those were all the things Sapnap could really think of that he knew for sure about Alex. For as open as she'd become, Cat still rarely talked about herself. The raven haired man bit back a groan of frustration as he opened the door to their shared room, closing it quietly behind him.

He froze when he heard something, it sounded like a whimper. At first, Sap thought maybe Poki had been wrong and the heat started early, but he shook off that thought when he heard quiet sniffles. The pyromancer sighed softly as he ducked past Cat's curtain, kneeling down beside the bed and gently shaking her shoulder.

"Alex, Alex wake up. It's just a bad dream, you're safe." Sapnap kept his voice low and his touch gentle. This was one thing he knew that know one else did; Cat had nightmares more often than not, ones that left her terrified of someone that couldn't get to her anymore… Sapnap didn't know who, but there were times he wondered if Elliot was as sweet a guy as Cat said he was.

"Alex, you're okay. You're safe, please wake up." Sapnap shook her shoulder a bit harder, feeling guilty when Cat gasped and her eyes snapped open, immediately flinging herself to the other side of the bed.

"I'm sorry, I'll be better, I'm sorry-!" Her eyes darted around fearfully, tears flowing down her cheeks as she tried to find a threat. Sapnap gently took hold of her hand, heating his palm so it was warm and grounding. 

"You're safe, Alex. No one's going to hurt you, not while I'm around." Sapnap smiled at the older woman, wondering if she'd catch his joke.

Cat sniffled as her breathing slowed, squeezing the hand holding hers tightly as her eyes finally focused on the man in front of her. "Sap…?"

"Hey." Sapnap smiled warmly and slowly crawled onto the bed, settling beside Cat and leaning his head on hers as he brought up his body temperature to share the warmth.

Cat hummed and leaned on him heavily, closing her eyes as she tried to push away the remnants of her nightmare. Usually, he wouldn't ask about it and just let Cat deal with it how she wanted but… Sapnap was still a bit annoyed by how little he knew about his roommate.

"What happened? In the nightmare, I mean." He asked quietly, keeping his eyes on the curtain. He could feel Cat stiffen and glance up at him, knew she was probably chewing on her lip since she couldn't do the thing she usually did with her finger. "You don't have to tell me about it, but I'm here if you want to."

"...A memory, but worse." Cat sighed and pushed herself closer, as if Sapnap's fire could burn away the fear from her mind, "...When I was… sixteen, I think, I lived with my mom, my sisters, and… And my mom's oldest brother… He'd always been like a father to me, even called me his fourth daughter."

Cat barked out a sad, bitter laugh, tears forming in her eyes again. Sapnap wrapped an arm around her shoulders and frowned, wondering if this had really been a good idea. Cat rubbed at her eyes before continuing.

"We had… Never really gotten along, clashing personalies and such but… But once his wife… Once he kicked her out for _no fucking reason-"_ Cat closed her eyes, forcing the venom out of her voice. Getting angry wasn't the point in this. "He… Got worse. There was no buffer between his temper and the rest of us anymore and… And he was always so, so mean to my baby sister- I just wanted him to be nice to her… He treated Riz and his grandson like they could do no wrong, but Anna? He treated her like she was some kind of… Moron that shouldn't be allowed out of the house."

"What, why?" Sapnap blinked, tightening his hold on Cat just a bit. She shrugged and shook her head.

"I dont know, he had excuses but.. She was just a kid, and she was a good kid." Cat sighed, closing her eyes, "One day… One day I tried to talk to him, calmly like an adult, about how if he was nice to Anna she'd listen and he.. He just wouldn't listen. Told me I was wrong and watched TV while I tried to talk to him and.. And I got so _angry_ , I started yelling, called him a stupid fat bastard." Cat laughed again, bitter and quiet, "And… He got up from the couch, came over to me and shoved me to the floor. He was yelling, I can't remember what he said but he was yelling as he- as he kneeled over me and p-punched the floor next to- Next to my face…"

Sapnap felt his temperature flare as he tightened his hold on Cat, the woman trembling slightly and gripping his shirt as she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"In… In my nightmare… He didn't… He didn't stop at hitting the floor." She whispered, lip trembling, "He… He got up and… He grabbed Anna-"

"Alex, that's enough." Sapnap said quietly, gently rubbing her back, "I'm sorry, I didn't want you to relive it."

Cat sniffled and nodded, wiping her eyes with a heavy sigh, "I had- Before we were-" She sighed and ran a frustrated hand through her hair as she looked for the words, "I was starting therapy, before all this happened… With COVID it was hard, all video calls weeks apart but… It was helping and then… It's been almost ten fucking _years_ I should be over-"

"Alex." Sapnap shook his head and booped her nose, "That's not how healing works and you know it. It's okay to still be bothered by what was apparently a shitty childhood-"

"It wasn't." Cat shook her head rapidly, guilt flashing across her face as she pulled away, creating distance between them, "It- It was lonely and- And there were some bad things but it wasn't that bad-"

"Alex it sounds like you were ab-"

" _No_!" Cat cut him off again, her voice breaking slightly, "No it- It wasn't that bad. It wasn't that bad."

Sapnap could see Cat retreating back into herself, into that quiet shell she'd kept so tightly around herself for so long. He took a deep breath and gently took hold of her hand, "Okay, okay I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions like that. I… You're my friend Alex, and I really care about you so… When you have these nightmares I'll sit and listen, if you want."

Cat hesitated before nodding and giving his hand a light squeeze, the tension easing out of her posture, "Okay… Thank you, Sapnap."

"You're welcome." Sapnap said with a soft smile, giving her hand a small squeeze before crawling off the bed, "Come on, Queenie made pasta."

"Is there garlic bread?" Cat immediately perked up, hopping off the bed and pulling on a hoodie from the floor. It was one of Sapnap's, but the two had a half joke of just swapping clothes so he didn't really mind.

"If not I'll help make some." Sapnap chuckled and headed for the door.

"Sap, I adore you, but you've literally burned cereal before." Cat deadpanned and walked past him, leaving the younger spluttering as he caught up.

"That was _one time_!"

"You burned _cereal_."

* * *

It was late, or at least, it felt late to Dream as he wandered the halls of the ship. They didn't technically have a curfew or boundaries, the aliens never forbade them from any part of the ship, but none of the humans ventured to the higher decks, where the Archdnians lived. Very few of the spider creatures stayed in the areas where the humans lived and slept, and even fewer during what were considered 'night' hours, so it made sense why everyone was much more at ease during those times, himself included.

As it was, Dream couldn't sleep and had decided a few rounds of puzzles would be enough to tire him out. He hadn't expected for someone to already be in the trial room. Cat was using one of the bigger screens to work on some sort of maze puzzle, head tilted as she squinted at it. Dream had passed that particular puzzle a few days before, and he knew there were a few parts that were fairly tricky, it was no wonder she was stuck. It was something between matching tiles and moving them to particular places on the screen, while keeping in mind there were different tiles after the one you were working with. Dream chuckled as he watched Cat reset the puzzle with a frustrated huff.

“Need some help?” He asked, snickering when the woman jumped and turned around.

“Ah… No, I’ll get it eventually.” Cat shrugged, lips twitching up into a slight smile, “Can’t sleep?”

“Something like that, yeah.” Dream yawned and walked over to the station next to Cat’s, a holographic puzzle that focused on dimensions and taking things apart. “You?”

“...Didn’t want to sleep.” Cat grimaced and turned her eyes back to her screen.

“Why not?”

“Reasons.”  
  
“Ah yes, of course.” Dream rolled his eyes, ever so slightly annoyed. That was something he’d gotten used to hearing, whenever Cat didn’t want to explain that was what she’d say. Sometimes it was just because she was teasing, but it usually meant she just didn’t want to talk about it. Dream sighed and started on his puzzle, turning the hologram around to see the full scope of it.

“...Are you and Sapnap a thing?” Cat asked suddenly, not moving her eyes from the screen.

“I-What?!” Dream felt his face heat as he looked at her, “Why would you think-”

“I know what someone in love looks like, Dream.” Cat laughed softly and looked at him, her eyes gleaming with mischief, “And you’ve been simping for Sap and George this whole time.”

“I-” Dream looked away and ran a hand through his hair, “Is it that obvious…?”

“Just a bit.” Cat chuckled, shoulders relaxing, “You and Sap dance around each other like awkward kids, it’s really cute but also, just kiss him already.”

“He doesn’t-”

“Dream, don’t lie to yourself.” Cat rolled her eyes and fixed him with what he called her ‘Mom look’, a brow raised in knowing disbelief, “He’s waiting for you to make up your mind and you know it. Kiss him, talk it out, and then talk to George. You three adore each other and it’s getting cringy to watch.”

“...What about you?” Dream frowned and looked at her, “You and George-”

“Wait what?” Cat blinked, looking up at him with confusion painting her expression, “Me. And George. You think, that me and George are- What the- I can’t even-” 

Dream blushed as Cat burst out laughing, doubling over as tears came to her eyes, “What’s so funny? You guys have always seemed close…"

Cat snorted as she tried calming down, sucking in sharp breaths until she could look up at Dream again, a few giggles escaping as she gave an amused half smile, "Dude, no. I don't…" There was a flash of pain and she ran her thumb over her necklace sadly, "I'm not ready for anything yet, and especially not with someone who's heart is already taken. George is just… Easier to talk to."

"..Oh." Dream grimaced and looked away, mildly ashamed as he ran a hand through his hair, "So… Your husband…?"

"...I don't want to talk about it." Cat turned back to her screen, body language closed off as she pursed her lips, "You… Just don't worry about me, okay? I don't have feelings for anyone on the ship, and I'm… I'm okay." She nodded, more to herself than him, "I'm okay."

Dream frowned and turned back to his puzzle, a bitter stone in his stomach as he got back to work on figuring it out. He felt like he'd overstepped a very large boundary, one that George had apparently easily crossed and it bothered him. It bothered him that Cat pretended to be open yet was closed off, and it bothered him how easily she slipped behind other people's walls. It bothered him that one of his best friends felt like he was drifting behind those walls Cat kept up, intent on becoming a guard for her. 

Everyone was entitled to their privacy, he of all people knew that, always hiding his face from everyone. Hell, George hadn't known what he looked like before they were brought to the ship but… But Cat was right. He loved George and Sapnap and he was scared that… Even if Cat hadn't fallen for Geroge, Dream saw his friend's gaze linger sometimes. Sapnap's too, every so often, both of them snapping away before Cat caught it and before Dream could read the expressions on their faces. It _bothered_ him and he _hated_ it.

"...Dream, you're glowing." Cat frowned as she shut down her puzzle, brows furrowed as _something_ flitted across her expression, "I'm sorry I… I didn't mean to upset you."

Dream blinked and looked down at her, taking a moment to process her words. A moment too long, apparently.

"I'll go, and I won't… I won't tell anyone anything, so no worries about that, yeah?" She gave a pained little smile and started walking away, "You should try and sleep soon, George and Sapnap will worry if you stay up all night."

Dream couldn't figure out what he wanted to say until long after Cat had left.

"...You don't need to hide away." Dream sighed to the empty air, once more wondering what had happened to make Cat the person she was. Kind to everyone, putting their needs above hers, yet distant and hesitant to ever ask for any help, or even for anyone to listen. Hiding away her own thoughts and feelings to ease the worries of others. He realized what hugged him now. Dream couldn't trust anything Cat had said, because in reality… Cat was never honest, not even with herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. It's been a while. Youd think that while being quarantined for two weeks I would have done a lot of writing but Nope.
> 
> Lol hope you're enjoying, I like kudos, comments, questions, and people coming to Twitch to vibe with me!


	5. Party Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone gets ready for the party, and has thoughts about the past week.

Wilbur started noticing something odd during the days leading up to Cat's surprise party. Mainly that it seemed he and everyone else rarely saw the woman anymore, Sapnap said she slept in later and when he went to get her up for lunch, she'd appear to have vanished. Techno said she was in the puzzle or simulation rooms well into the night, sometimes the common area, but most of the time she was nowhere to be found. 

The second thing he noticed was that she no longer sat with the Dream Team as much, didn't cuddle up to Sapnap for warmth or drape her legs over George, she wouldn't rest her head on Dream's shoulder when watching movies and eventually doze off. It wasn't quite like she was avoiding them, but it seemed like she was trying to distance herself as much as possible without outright leaving every time they were in the same room. She'd sit with him and Tommy or King and Queenie instead, but it wasn't the same. She seemed so much more guarded, like she refused to relax.

Wilbur wasn't the only one to notice either, he sat the hurt in Sapnap's eyes when Cat would choose a different place to sit than the open spot near him, the frown that would mar George's face when Cat would find an excuse to get up or change seats when he sat beside her. And above all, the guilt and irritation that would flash in Dream's eyes when Cat avoided his gaze or gave short, clipped answers to any of them.

He knew Bad had tried to figure out what had happened, but Cat had denied that anything was wrong, waving off his concern with a smile before pulling her vanishing act. Wilbur contemplated using his ability to try and coax it out of her, but the thought made him squirm. Cat had dubbed his ability 'siren', he could use his voice to calm and convince people to listen to him much like the mythical creature. He thought it was cute, how much of a nerd Cat could be. She never tried to hide it but it popped up so randomly he just had to laugh sometimes. 

In a way, he didn't mind Cat's distance from the Dream Team, sure he was concerned but at the same time it meant that he and everyone else could get closer to her. He'd seen Tubbo sit and talk about cute animals with her for hours, and watched her and Tommy bicker like siblings in the funniest way. He'd laughed when Techno had grabbed her legs, as she'd had them across the couch while drawing something, and put them on his lap as he sat down instead of letting her put them on the floor.

Funniest of all had been the time she'd been lightly dozing off on one of the couches and Eret had sat beside her. The tired woman had noticed the presence of warmth and snuggled up against him, and started  _ purring _ as she nuzzled his shoulder. 

"Is she-? Ohmigod that's so cute!" Queenie had squealed, giggling like a mad woman and drawing more attention to the scene in front of them. Eret had looked confused but not displeased, smiling softly and trying his best not to move or make any noise to scare Cat away. Wilbur had seen the way Dream's brows furrowed, likely coming to the same realization Wilbur did. This was the first time she had ever purred, even cuddling with Sapnap or George they had never heard this noise. Unfortunately it didn't last long, Cat jolting into wakefulness when Sapnap dropped a plate.

"I know your name's Cat and all, but really? Purring?" Tommy had teased. Cat looked confused, startling when Eret started shaking in an attempt not to laugh. It was then she finally noticed who she was laying on and turned bright red, flinging herself off the couch and dashing out of the room without a word. They'd all broke down laughing, unable to take the adorableness of it all. Well, all but Dream and Sapnap.

Today, Wilbur was on a mission. Keep Cat occupied while everyone else set up the party. Planning had been hard, having to meet in small groups and talk quietly while someone kept lookout. Trying to avoid Shiro, Cat's… cat, was probably the hardest part. Cat, Fundy, and Tubbo could all speak to animals, though some more than others, and Shiro wasn't one to keep secrets from his owner. Tubbo had somehow convinced Patches to distract Shiro as much as possible, and now Wilbur was to distract Cat… As soon as he found her.

George and Sapnap were neither one any help, Sapnap not having any information and George still refusing to have any part of this. It frustrated Wilbur, but he understood George's reasoning, the younger man just didn't want his friend hurting any more than she already was. Still, all they were trying to do was make her smile, show her they all cared as much as she did… 

"Mmrow." Wilbur looked down, sighing softly when he saw a black and white cat nudging his leg.

"Hey there Shiro, do you know where your mum is?" Wilbur chuckled, picking up the animal and scratching under his chin. The feline purred and blinked at him slowly, his orange-yellow eyes wide in the dim hallway.

"That a no?" Wilbur smiled as the animal headbutted his cheek before hopping from his arms, trotting along down the hallway. He paused and looked back at Wilbur, meowing loudly before he kept walking. The man blinked in surprise before slowly following the cat, he hadn't expected him to actually help. Shiro was known for not particularly liking anyone but Cat, dodging pets by most other humans and never cuddling up to anyone but his owner.

Wilbur hardly paid attention to where they were going, allowing Shiro to take him deeper into the ship. By the time he stopped zoning out they were in what looked like a repair room and… Something large was staring at him from on top of a box. Large, furry, feline, and that should definitely not be loose on a spaceship. Wilbur took a step back in fear as big, orange eyes narrowed, a striped tail lashing from side to side as the fucking  _ tiger _ came fully into the light. Wilbur had heard and seen pictures of black tigers, but to have one  _ six feet away _ from him was something terrifying beyond words. The black fur reflected the low light, giving the animal an almost ethereal look, pale stripes seeming to shift colors as it stalked closer. Wilbur kept taking steps back, freezing with he heard a low growl. Huge white fangs shone as the tiger curled its lips, lowering close to the floor with its ears pressed flat against its head.

Wilbur let put a shout and raised his arms in front of his face as the tiger pounced, jaws open wide and claws outstretched. He squeezed his eyes shut, a brief thought of how Cat's party would be ruined by his death flashing through his head.

Wilbur was knocked to the floor, his breath whooshing out of him as a weight landed on him… But there was nothing else. No claws ripping him to shreds, no fangs tearing into his flesh, just a weight, one that was moving to settle soundly on his waist as he heard and ever so familiar giggle.

Wilbur slowly opened his eyes, shocked to find Cat, mouth covered by her hand as she tried not to laugh and eyes gleaming with mirth, sitting on his waist in place of the tiger that had just tried to kill him. She moved her hand and grinned down at him, more giggles escaping.

"Y-You should have seen your face!" Cat cackled, finally cracking and laughing hard enough for tears to form and small snorts started as she struggled to breathe from laughing so hard.

"I-I-" Wilbur was still trying to process what just happened, eyes darting around to find where the tiger had gone when it clicked. He stared up at Cat with wide, slightly awed eyes, "You can turn into a tiger?"

Cat grinned and nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes with a breathless giggle, "I can turn into a lot of things truth be told, tiger is just the default."

"That's amazing-!" Wilbur laughed and ran his hands down his face, the adrenaline from before still coursing through him as he sat up, forcing Cat to scooch back into his lap, "How come you've never told anyone?"

Cat shrugged, face red as she glanced around, "Just didn't feel like it. I'm. Going to move so that no one comes in and ah… thinks anything weird."

"Weird?" Wilbur tilted his head as Cat vaguely gestured between them. He frowned and looked down, realizing that Cat was basically straddling him. Alone. In a dark room. "O-Oh."

"Yeeeeah, gonna move now." Cat laughed and awkwardly wiggled off his lap, stepping back before offering him a hand, "Sorry by the way, for scaring you."

Wilbur chuckled as he took her hand and stood, "It's fine, I probably would have done the same. Would you like to come watch a movie?"

Cat raised a brow and tilted her head a bit, "Did… You come looking for me just to ask that?"

"Well, you've seemed…" Wilbur paused looking for the right word, "A bit lonely I suppose, and I just… wanted to be friends."

Cat tilted her head to one side, eyes narrowed as she seemed to examine him. Wilbur felt a slight flush creep up his neck again as he gave her an awkward little smile.

"T-Techno, Tommy and Phil will all be there so it wouldn't be like, just us or anything uh… weird…" Wilbur trailed off, wondering if he should just use his ability to get her to agree.

"...Okay, if we can watch Sweeny Todd." Cat smiled, bright and kind as she stifled a round of giggles, "Just let me head to my room and change, this isn't too comfortable to chill in."

"Of course, I'll walk with you." Wilbur perked up and followed after Cat as the woman led him out of the bowels of the ship, pleased that he hadn't had to trick her into agreeing. Today was going to be great.

* * *

Today was going horribly, or at least that was George's opinion on it. He still thought the whole party idea was terrible, and he'd wanted to warn Cat about it but the others wouldn't let him, and to top it all off Cat had gone back to leaving should they be alone for more than two seconds. He didn't know what happened, Cat insisted she was fine the one time he'd had a chance to ask about it, but her shoulders were tense and she refused to meet his gaze. Sapnap had no clue as to why she was acting so weird either, especially since it was only towards them and Dream. Everyone else it seemed that she was becoming more open to, or trying to force herself to be at least. 

George let out a frustrated huff as he helped Poki with making dinner, something Cat had made many times when no one else had ideas for dinner called pepperoni rolls. They were basically buns stuffed with cheese, pepperoni and some pizza sauce and they were delicious… So long as they were made right. Poki and George were basically fumbling their way through it, as they didn't have any directions to follow and couldn't ask for help. 

He glanced back into the cafeteria where Dream, Sapnap, Tubbo, Eret, and Karl were setting up decorations. He still didn't understand how or why the aliens had those kinds of things, though he remembered Dream mentioning that they had some kind of advanced 3-D printers it still didn't quite make sense. Bad, Skeppy, King, Queenie, Ant and Quackity were wrapping hastily thought up gifts while Illumina and Fundy worked on baking a cake. As Cat had been hard to track the last few days it had been hard to do anything in secret for fear of her showing up, so they had ended up waiting until the last minute to do everything.

"Hey Gogi, can you tell us if this banner is crooked or not? We can't agree." Sapnap whined from the main room, and George rolled his eyes as Poki laughed. He cleaned off his hands and walked into the room, looking at the purple letters with a critical eye.

"...It's about as straight as I am." George rolled his eyes at the surprised looks and laughter before nodding to Sapnap, "Your side needs to be lower."

"What?!" Sapnap half screeched as he all together dropped the banner and stepped towards George, "George you're-"

"Into dudes, yeah. Now, I have food to butcher so if you'll excuse me." George could feel his cheeks heating up as he quickly fled the room, feeling multiple sets of eyes boring holes into the back of his head. Though nervous about finally coming out, especially to people he had feelings for, he was more than a little relieved to finally have it off his chest. Cat had been right when she told him he'd feel better, lighter, after getting at least one secret out. It was far less stressful doing it this way too, no fanfare, no time for questions or teasing. Just a deadpan joke dropped into their hands.

"Wait you and Cat aren't a thing?" Poki looked at him, seeming surprised. George frowned and looked at her in confusion.

"What? No, why would you think that?" George tilted his head as they got back to work on the food.

"It's just… You guys are so close and all cuddly." Poki shrugged and chuckled softly, "Sorry for the assumption."

"I mean, it's fine, not that big of a deal but she's still hurting from her divorce, I doubt even if I did like her that she'd want a relationship right now." George sighed heavily as he carefully pinched a bun closed.

Poki grimaced at the mention of Cat's divorce, a sad look coming to her eyes, "Oh… I guess I didn't think about that…"

"Doesn't seem like anyone does." George mumbled as he sat the last roll on a pan, "I'm going to go help with the presents."

"Okie dokie." Poki gave him a friendly wave as she put the food into the oven, humming quietly before she set a timer before going to help with the decorations.

George still didn't think this was a good idea, so instead of going to help like he said he fully intended on finding Cat and telling her what was going on. He only hoped Wilbur hadn't found her first.

* * *

Phil had a dilemma. You wouldn't really think it was one, having a fairly (ridiculously) attractive man leaning on him and half falling asleep, but here's the thing. The man causing Phil to fight off a blush was not at all interested in men, at least not to Phil's knowledge, and didn'tknow that he and his wife had decided to separate, like Cat and her husband. No, Wilbur Soot was very, very straight and if anyone on the ship drew those gorgeous eyes of his, it was the adorable woman flicking Tommy with a hair tie.

"Would you knock it off you strange American! You said I could pick a movie, don't mock me for it!" Tommy swatted her arm with a huff, ignoring the way Techno was shaking his head like an older brother amused by his siblings antics.

"Did you have to choose Totoro? It is the most  _ boring _ Ghibli movie ever." Cat rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Wilbur, poking his cheek. The dark haired man jolted and sat up straight with a sleepy grunt.

"I'm not sleeping." Wilbur said immediately, fighting back a yawn. It was unfair how utterly cute he was, making Phil's heart flop about with just a small involuntary thing like that.

"No, you're just restin' yer eyes." Techno shook his head, fondness seeping into his voice instead of his usual deadpanned monotone. It was happening a lot, the more relaxed he became around these guys the less he was able keep his voice devoid of emotion, which he told Phil was highly annoying, he didn't like people being able to get a read on him so easily.

"Exactly, Techno gets me." Wilbur smiled brightly at him before standing and walking to the kitchen area, "Anyone want something while I'm up?"

Phil waved a hand and raised a brow at the way Cat suddenly draped her legs over his lap, "Water if you please."

Cat stretched and smiled at Phil, a feigned innocence in her eyes hiding something like fear. Phil didn't know what was up with her lately, it was like she was afraid of something all the time. It was concerning, but he didn't think it was his business to pry into it. He didn't mind the random cuddling or being used as a leg rest though, so he'd decided to just wait until whatever issues she was having with Dream blew over. At least, that's what Techno had told him.

Techno's 'Instinct' was something between incredibly useful and extraordinarily annoying. Useful because it let him almost always perfectly dodge even Dream's trickiest attacks in training, as well as helped him pick up on hints and clues with the digital puzzles, but annoying because he couldn't really turn it off. Phil knew Fundy had a similar issue with his 'Understanding', always knowing what people or animals meant and what was wrong with any malfunctioning tech, but that was different. Fundy couldn't know just by glancing at someone and subconsciously reading their body language that they wanted to jump the bones of their best friend, or in this instance, that two people had had some kind of fight that broke apart an entire group. Phil's own 'Shift', much like Cat's 'Adapt', let him tap into the sense if the birds he could change into, giving him a few heightened senses if he tried.

Phil frowned as he saw George pass the doorway, only to pause and peek in. He saw the way George's face dropped as he took in Cat's presence, the tension in his frame and flash of hurt and anger in his dark eyes. He felt how stiff Cat was despite the nonchalant way she was draped across the couch, could see the way she looked in George's direction, but not quite at George himself, and he could definitely hear the hesitance and fear hiding in her cheery tone.

"Oh hey George, did you want to watch movies too?" Cat's smile wasn't quite strained or fake, but there was something in the way it didn't make the… dimness, in her usually bright eyes, the orange looking almost like a muddy brown. Phil distinctly hated it, it was how she would smile those first few months.

George shifted his weight from one foot to the other, debating on what exactly he should say… He couldn't outright warn her, then everyone would be pissed off at him, and if he asked to speak with her alone then they'd definitely know.. And he wasn't sure she'd agree anyway. George gave a small shrug and moved to sit by Tommy.

"Sure, what are you guys watching?" He asked, giving Cat a similarly hollow smile. 

_ Jesus this is awkward as hell _ . Phil fought a grimace and shared a look with Techno, who he'd discussed his thoughts on the subject with when the whole situation had started. It had been Techno's advice to not get involved, at least not until they knew the whole story, but it looked like he was starting to regret that advice now. The older man sighed softly and shook his head, they shouldn't step in now, not with Tommy and his big mouth here.

"My neighbor Totoro." Tommy grumbled and shot a glare when Cat rolled her eyes, "It's a good movie!"

"It's a cute movie with no real plotline." Cat yawned and somehow managed to move so she was sitting upside down on her original cushion, making space for Wilbur as he returned with drinks and snacks.

"I thought you liked Ghibli?" Wilbur chuckled as he sat down, giving her a curious look.

"I do, that doesn't magically make all of their movies amazing." Cat kicked her legs a bit and yawned again, "I might go take a nap after this one though."

"A nap? But it's almost time for dinner." Phil frowned as he tilted his head to look at Cat better, "You've been sleeping an awful lot lately, are you feeling alright?"

"Hm? Oh yeah I'm fine, I just kinda turn nocturnal when I don't have a solid schedule." Cat shrugged as she flipped herself sideways, her legs over the arm of the couch and her head in Wilbur's lap, a convenient way to not have to look at George, Phil observed.

"You really are a cat, aren't you?" Phil snorted, shaking his head and biting back his jealously as Wilbur began playing with Cat's hair.

"Mm, a bit yeah." Cat closed her eyes, unwilling to say anything close to the truth. Phil knew she was lying, knew she had some other reason for disappearing and sleeping, one that was most definitely related to her fight with Dream.

_ What is it like _ , Phil frowned as he returned his attention to the movie,  _ to always lie to not only people who care for you, but to yourself all the damn time? _

Then he looked at Wilbur when the man started nodding off on his shoulder again, felt the ache of longing stir in his chest, and understood Cat just a little bit. It hurt a lot less to believe a painful lie, than to hope for a better truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Yeah. This is a thing. Hope you enjoy.  
> My new year's resolution is to work on and finish the things I've been working of for uh. Almost a year lol.
> 
> Hope you're doing well! If not, take a breath, drink some water, eat a snack and cuddle a pet. You'll be okay, I promise.


	6. So.. A Party?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sy-fi had to happen eventually.

Cat, despite what everyone thought, had an inkling as to what was going on. She'd play along for the moment then claim to need to go to the bathroom and leave again. She didn't want this. She didn't want their pity, their kindness borne of mimicry. She threw them parties because she wanted everyone to smile, to feel like themselves, to feel like this could maybe, just a little bit, be home for a while.

She knew, logically, that her mind was messing with her, whispering cruel things that made her want to sleep and not wake up again. She knew, somewhere, that it was all in her head, but it just made so much _sense_ that she stopped fighting it. So she would smile, be friendly, and vanish before she could bother anyone too much.

"So- There you guys are!" Queenie came in. voice bright and cheery, smile wide and filling her whole face. Cat liked her smile, loved all their smiles. She'd do anything to keep everyone smiling. Queenie snickered slightly, probably at how Cat was half laying on Wilbur but whatever, "Dinner's done, so come eat before it gets cold."

That was Cat's cue. As everyone stood, she stretched and started in a different direction. She was stopped by Philza lightly grabbing her wrist, concern on his, and almost everyone's faces.

"Cafeteria's tha other way, Cat." The older man smiled, always so kind to them all. Cat half thought he took the fact that he was the oldest past what he had too, being a father figure to all of them.

"Yeah I know, just gotta pee first." Cat chuckled, wiggling her hand free as the touch began making her feel too caged. She was a very cuddly person, so long as she could escape whenever she wanted. 

"...So you'll meet us at the cafeteria?" Technoblade looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes, and Cat felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. She could feel the way his Instinct was taking in her every move, every uneven breath, every small twitch, and the tension in her posture. Fuck.

She couldn't _lie_ , she'd definitely get called out on it and get dragged to their stupid pity party. She could tell Phil didn't quite like how she'd been laying against Wilbur, her own instincts and animal like senses picking up on it easily, so he wouldn'tbe giving her any help. She forced her body to relax and yawned, tilting her head quizzically, "Well I'm kinda starving so yuh, I'll be at the cafeteria when I'm done."

Techno's eye twitched as he searched her face. Her mask of nonchalant confusion. It wasn't a lie, she was hungry and she would be at the cafeteria when she was done. Not done with the bathroom, but done with the nap she was going to take in the medbay no one ever went to. Not a lie, but not quite the truth. And Techno couldn't call her out on a hidden agenda because he didn't know her past what she'd shown them all. No one did, and Cat fully intended to stay far, far away from them all. Cause them a lot less trouble that way.

"...Fine." Techno growled and stomped off, leaving the others bewildered by his anger.

"What the fuck was that about?" Tommy grumbled, everyone murmuring similar words. Cat frowned and shrugged at them, giving a wave before heading to the bathroom. 

She waited about five minutes before splashing some water on her face and grimacing at the face in the mirror before turning away. She had never liked her face, even before she lost weight. Her nose was too round, eyes too squinty and small without her glasses, not to mention the weird color they'd turned to… Cat sighed heavily and started to change. Unlike what Will thought she hadn't actually changed out of her suit, just hidden it under an oversized shirt and some joggers. She took off the outer layer and cracked open the door before closing her eyes and concentrating, clearing her mind of everything but an image of Shiro. It had hurt at first, the transformations, but now it was just a slight discomfort as her body struck and changed, fur spouting where none had been before. 

When her eyes opened the world loomed before her, large and familiar, in sharper focus than ever. Her nose twitched, whiskers pricking slightly, someone was outside the door. Friend? No, Shiro was somewhere else, probably with Patches. Her fur bristled and she sunk low to the ground, she'd have to run fast to get away from whoever it was… So long as it wasn't Techno, Karl, or Dream she'd be fine. Probably. With a quick breath she darted out of the bathroom and sprinted her way down the hall as quickly as she could. 

She just wanted to be left alone. Why couldn't they see it was better that way?

* * *

Karl jumped slightly when a small black blur ran out of the bathroom, frowning as he watched it disappear down the hall. He'd been sent to make sure Cat was coming to the cafeteria, having been quietly pulled aside by Technoblade. Karl didn't know _why_ he thought she wouldn't come, but whatever it got him away from Sapnap and Dream's obnoxious sexual tension. It only got worse when George got there, the air between them charged and yet, weirdly stagnant. It reminded him of other times, with people he missed yet hadn't had the courage to reach out to.

Karl sighed and hesitantly peeked into the bathroom, realizing he hadn't heard anything for a while now and. Fuck. Fuck, it was empty, the black blur had been Cat! Karl groaned and held his hands out, palms up and concentrated on the last ten minutes, remembering every detail and watching as it started to display in a shimmering orb in his hands.

 _Rewind._ Karl commanded silently, watching as the image in the orb started going backwards, the world around him slowly following. 'Clockwork', Karl's joke on Cat's apparent online name, was his ability to control and slip through time. He didn't have the greatest control of it yet, time was tricky to grasp, so he had a set limit of ten minutes per use to manipulate how he pleased. He watched as the blur came back and then waited just a bit longer before stopping his ability and letting time flow normally. Karl took a deep breath before knocking on the bathroom door.

"Cat, please don't run off. I don't know why you did but I'd rather you talk about it than hide." Karl spoke softly, hearing the woman curse under her breath before opening the door with a deep frown on her face.

"...Rewind?"

"Yeah." Karl nodded with a small smile, watching Cat huff with mild annoyance before grabbing the sleeve of her hoodie and beginning to walk, "Why did you run? And none of your 'technically since you rewound time I didn't' stuff."

"...I know about the party." Cat mumbled, staring resolutely at the floor as she trudged along beside him, ".....I don't get why you all wasted your time on it."

Karl frowned and stopped walking, carefully thinking about his next words. The long conversations he used to have with Corpse and Sykkuno giving him ample experience with the language of self-deprecation. 

"Because it's not a waste of time to us." Karl's voice was gentle and a bit sad, doing his best to show care and not pity, "We like you and appreciate all you've done for us, and we want to show you that."

Cat frowned, brows deeply furrowed as she looked up at Karl. She seemed to also choose her words carefully as her gaze moved to the window they'd been passing, "I haven't done much, I just… Wanted to give you guys a distraction sometimes and other people would help me-"

Whatever she was going to say was cut off by the shift lurching violently, causing the two of them to be thrown off their feet and against the wall. Cat yelped, hair standing on end and a tail forming to help her catch her balance, while Karl did his best to catch himself without getting too hurt. The two shared frightened looks as alarms began blaring, shutters closing over the windows and blocking out the sight of.. some kind of pods flying at the ship.

"ATTENTION ALL CREW MEMBERS THE SHIP IS UNDER ATTACK BY AN UNKNOWN ENEMY. CREWMEMBERS TO YOUR STATIONS. ALL SAVIORS TO THE ARMORY. I REPEAT…"

The announcement repeated itself as Karl grabbed Cat's hand and started running, half dragging the spooked woman through the ship to their directed destination. Cat eventually snapped out of her daze and started running properly, skidding to a halt as they entered the room, most of the others already there with their training instructor.

"Saviors… It appears the Bholphull have located us while we waited for the other batch to arrive." The alien placed about, plucking things from shelves and laying them out, "We had intended to wait until their arrival to tell you, but it seems we no longer have the time. This… rest period was a time for us to move backwards and retrieve more who shall save us, as it appears the Bholphull have grown stronger than we had imagined-"

"What the hell?! We turned around to- to pick up other people?!" Tommy screeched, taking a step towards the creature only to have Wilbur step out in front of him.

"What has this done to the length of our journey." Wilbur snarled, anger rolled off him in thick waves. Karl didn't need Instinct or Understanding to know he was using his ability on the alien.

"...It has added five years, we believe, to the time passed on your planet. We started going back six months ago." The alien replied, voice sounding sleepy and dazed under Wilbur's influence, "We were to be meeting the other Savoirs to join this group at the end of your rest weeks. The second groups were chosen just an Earth year after your departure. We have sent a distress signal, they should arrive within the hour… But you must be prepared to defend yourselves."

Wilbur trembled and whirled around, slamming his fist into the wall as he released his hold on the creature. Karl grimaced and looked around, taking in the stunned expressions around them. Dream was the first to shake it off, turning to everyone with a grin look.

"...We need to prepare. They have armor and weapons for us, and we've been trained to use them. Ability users, go back to your rooms quickly and grab your suits, everyone else stay here and get ready." The commanding tone in Dream's voice snapped everyone to attention, their long year of training stirring them to action. Karl left with the others for his suit, glancing at Cat's somber look as she started strapping knives across the suit she'd had under her clothes. The ship lurched again and there was shrieking of crunching metal and laser fire. Karl sent a silent prayer for the other ship to get there soon, hoping they would all be okay.

* * *

Cat ran through the ship, her body a small and lithe feline she couldn't remember the name of, being sent to conduct another scan of recon to see how far the Bholphull had gotten. They'd been able to hold them off so far, but their backup was late and the enemy aliens had been relentless. Tommy's leg had been fractured within the first few minutes, leaving him manning what they could from the security room. Comms fluctuated frequently from the Bholphull's interference, as well as the lights going down every so often. Luckily Fundy was in the security room with Tommy to get everything back up as quickly as possible. Cat listened as the others checked in, using code phrases decided on a long time ago to assure it was really them.

As she was about to turn a corner, Cat was suddenly thrown against the wall, a yowl tearing from her throat as she tried to shake it off. Her fur bristled and she sank low to the ground as the frog-like thing grinned at her, sharp teeth gleaming as it chattered in it's odd language. Cat wasn't in a form to fight, claw and fangs too small to take down the alien. She had to run, and fast. Her tail lashed as she leapt out of the way of another blow, only to screech as a giant shock suddenly coursed over her body, leaving her twitching on the floor as a second Bholphullian stepped from a doorway. 

Cat could do nothing but lie there helplessly as the two aliens chattered, seeming to gloat. She felt tears prick her eyes as they turned to her, drool slipping from their mouths. The Bholphull were a face that lived to consume all kinds of flesh, and it looked like she was going to be their next meal. She closed her eyes, praying they'd kill her first.

" _Babushka!_ " An oddly cheerful voice screeched, followed by startled cries and the sound of slicing flesh. Cat tensed as something drew nearer, fur standing on end and a growl ripping from her throat as something touched her head.

"E-Easy there, I'm here to help." A soft voice murmured, stoking her fur lightly to give reassurance. Cat's ears laid flat against her head as she opened her eyes, hazy figures standing around her defensively, yet wary, "Just relax, the pain will stop in a moment."

Cat showed her fangs but stopped growling, watching as the person, a woman, began to glow softly. Just as she'd said, the pain and tremors receded and vanished, leaving Cat able to jerk away and switch to being human again, keeping low and flicking a knife into her hand.

"The fuck are you?" She snarled, fear and adrenaline coursing through her veins. The woman kneeling on the ground, some healer, rose slowly and smiled, sweet and kind and disarming to anyone less jaded.

"I'm Lily! Sorry to be late, um, this is Rae, Toast, Sykkuno and Corpse." Lily smiled, pushing hair from her face nervously, "We're um."

"Sent to save your ass so put the knife down." A deep, gravelly voice snapped, tension and mild anger apparent.

Cat kept her surprise hidden, turning just slightly and narrowing her eyes, "...Prove it. Bholphull can shapeshift."

"...How do we prove…?" Lily looked at the others, nervous and sad.

 _Fair point,_ Cat thought, chewing her lip a moment before looking to Corpse again, "...You spilled wine on your..?" 

His eyes widened, barely perceptible before they crinkled at the edges from what Cat assumed to be a grin grew, hidden by a black mask, "White tee, bitchs like me."

"Corpse you're off the deep end,"

"Bitch I might be." He gave a small chuckle, his posture relaxing a bit. The others also laughed a bit at the exchange, still wary of Cat and her knife.

Cat relaxed and put the knife back in its sheath, letting out a slow breath and pushing the hair that had fallen from her ponytail out of her face, "Cool. Okay. Fucking shit that was close." A shudder ran through her body as she pressed her palms to her eyes, willing herself to calm down. "...Sorry. I'm a bit stressed."

"I mean, considering what's going on.." A slightly shorter man that Cat recognized as Sykkuno offered a timid smile once she opened her eyes again. She huffed softly and shook her head.

"Yeah. Thank you, for helping me." Cat looked at Lily, giving a tired smile to the smaller woman. 

"Of course! How are you feeling, Ms…?"

"...Cat. I'm fine. Come on, we should keep moving." Cat gave her head a small shake, allowing her tiger ears to appear. She didn't know if any of them had battle or sensory abilities, best to play it safe. She ignored the startled, and mildly delighted, looks they gave her. An ear twitched and she turned left, "This way."

"A cat girl. Corpse she'll ruin your life!" The other woman, Rae, snickered and nudged her friend. Corpse snorted, about to reply when Cat piped up instead.

"Ruining things is all I'm good at, what's the difference about a hot guy's life?" Cat rolled her eyes, and tilted her head with a frown. The sounds had stopped… Dammit, what was going on? Was everyone okay?

"Hot-" Corpse's voice held amusement but Cat switched to full tiger, tail lashing as she took on her surroundings and moved forward slowly. Nothing. A growl rumbled from her throat as she switched to a half form, humanoid, barely covered in fur but stripes on her skin, her claws, ears, tail, and whiskers still apparent.

An ear twitched as she heard a stifled giggle, turning to give the groups behind her a deadpan look, slitted eyes narrowed as she hissed a quick, "One joke about me being a furry and I will fucking leave you here."

"...Okay but can I touch your ears?" Toast grinned, hand already reaching out.

"Only if you want to lose your fingers." Cat smiled sweetly before clicking the radio on the collar of her suit, "Clockwork Cat checking in. Fundy, Sally the salmon…"

Static. Cat tensed, fur standing on end as she waited. More static, fuck fuck Fuck-

"Was an accountant and damn good at her job." Came a reply, a tinge of amusement lacing Fundy's voice, "Cameras are still down but I've got your location. What's going on?"

"That other groups of sacrifices are here, I got half of them with me, I think." Cat glanced back at them to confirm, receiving a nod from Toast. "Give me a route back to you, one of them's a healer, she can help the screeching idiot."

"I HEARD THAT!" Tommy's voice came from the background of Fundy's radio, giving Cat a small smile.

"...From what I can tell there's still a lot of frog things around you, searching. Quickest way would be through the lounge, there are roughly three between you and there, plus maybe five in the lounge itself. Can't get a read past that." Fundy murmured, concern in his tone.

"Only eight? Sounds like a party." Cat hummed and stretched, thinking it through. No other way but forward, really. "Aight, thanks Fundy. Do me a favor and put a playlist through, give me something to move to."

"The Loop one? Want it over the speakers?"

"Sure why not, expose my simping. Start with Spiderdance." Cat snorted and clicked off the radio as Fundy laughed with confirmation. She turned to the group behind her and pursed her lips, "...We still have control of half of the upper decks, Fundy is in control of most of the ship's systems from the surveillance room. Tommy Innit got hurt in the initial blast, so I'm taking you there to help him. There are eight frog bitches between here and our lounge, no info beyond that. Who else has abilities and how good is your fighting?"

Rae blinked and crossed her arms with a frown, clearly still wary of Cat. To be expected really, they did find her paralyzed on the floor about to die, "I'm sorry, why are you bossing us around when _we_ saved _you_?"

Cat huffed and put a hand on her hip, foot tapping impatiently as she eyed the other woman, "I know this ship and have contact with people keeping watch for us, you don't. Good enough?"

Toast stepped forward, hand on Rae's shoulder in a calming manner, "Rae and I don't have fighting based abilities, mine are deductive and hers is a kind of a telepathy thing, but are the top of training of our group, Sykkuno can control plants and Corpse… That's easier seen than explained."

Cat quirked a brow and glanced at the masked man for a moment before shrugging and nodding, "Okay then. Toast with me up front, Rae and Corpse bring up the rear with Lily and Sykkuno at center. Good?"

"That works. Lead on, uh, Cat." Toast nodded for everyone to listen, and Cat waited for them to rearrange themselves before she started moving, ears pricked forward as she cautiously crept around corners. God this was almost as bad as nearly dying.

* * *

Sykkuno was freaking out. He was so, so unprepared to be fighting _aliens,_ he was still getting used to being on a spaceship in the first place. As they followed the stage tiger woman, a beat started coming through the speakers of the ship. The woman paused for a moment and relaxed, head bobbing slightly as she closed her eyes. Her tail stilled for the first time since they'd found her, and Sykkuno wondered what that meant when she started to bounce on her on the balls of her feet in time with the song.

Sykkuno watched as Cat seemed to gain energy, movements becoming more fluid as the beat picked up. Her eyes snapped open and her weight shifted to one leg as she twisted and swung the other up and into the face of a… frog thing that Sykkuno could never remember the name of. The group gasped as Cat lunged forward at another one, her movements weirdly matching the beat of the song and leaving no openings for one of the aliens to get a good hit in, or for any of them to help. Something of a manic laughed ripped from the throat, eyes taking a red sheen as her.. claws ripped apart the face of one of the aliens. Toast held out a protective arm in front of them, wary of this apparently very violent woman. Sykkuno stepped back towards Corpse and grabbed for his hand, taking comfort in the slight chill from the younger man's skin.

"Blood for the…?" A man with pink hair rounded the corner, a _sword_ pointed at the tiger woman. Oh Jesus what was up with these people?!

Cat paused and looked at the newcomer, tail swaying slowly as she seemed to calm down, blood splattered on the walls and over her suit, "Blood god. Sup Techno."

The man, Techno, lowered his sword and paused as the song over the speakers changed, a brow raising as Dream's 'Roadtrip' began. Cat's ears flattened and she let out a sheepish laugh as her cheeks turned a bright red. Oh were those freckles?! How cute! Sykkuno relaxed a little as he watched them, feeling like they had only seen the smallest sliver of this woman's personality, and maybe she wasn't so scary after all.

"I- Look, it's a good song, aight?" Cat looked at her claws and grimaced. "Don't judge me."

"Oh you're being judged." Techno drawled, his voice something between monotone and teasing. His guard went straight back up as he looked over to their group, "...You sure they're human?"

Cat rolled her eyes and looked back at them, lips twitching into a small grin as she locked eyes with Corpse, "Choke me like you hate me but you love me."

"Lowkey wanna date me when you _fuck me_." Corpse responded instantly, his voice a husky drawl that sent shivers up Sykkuno's spine… And apparently Cat's as her fur did an odd bristle before quickly settling down.

"...I'm not asking, but okay. Where are we going?" Techno rolled his eyes and looked at Cat, ignoring them completely.

Cat snickered and patted his shoulder, seeming to be much more relaxed now that someone she knew was there. She nodded to Lily and smiled, "To Tommy, one of them is a healer."

"Mm. Alright then, through the lounge?" Techno gave his sword a quick spin as Cat nodded. "Good, Karl was heading that way a bit ago."

Sykkuno's eyes widened and he glanced back at Corpse, seeing the same surprise, and hope, mirrored in the younger man's face. They had missed Karl so much…

"He- Fuck, Techno there's _five_ of these things in there." Cat said, panicked as she took off running, not waiting to explain further. Techno swore and glanced at them before following after Cat.

"Come on, Karl's a shit fighter." Techno called back at them, stirring the five into motion. Sykkuno felt his heart sink down to his stomach as he ran, lungs burning as he struggled to keep up with everyone. Cat rounded a corner and slammed through a door, not stopping her momentum as she launched herself through the air at a Bholphull looming over a fallen Karl. The creature let out a surprised noise, but it was turned into a wet gurgle as Cat jammed a knife into its throat. Techno charged in right behind her, slicing the arms off another one, then the head off a third in one fluid movement. 

Sykkuno was too frightened to do anything but watch in stunned awe as these two strangers defended the friend he had missed so dearly, barely aware of Corpse seeming to vanish from behind him, only to reemerge from Cat's shadow, knelt on the floor by Karl. The younger man jumped a bit before a bright smile lit up his face, taking Corpse's offered hand and climbing to his feet. 

Sykkuno took a step towards them, momentarily forgetting what was going on, only to freeze at the sound of a snarl. Sykkuno whipped around, paling at the sight of a gun being aimed his way. He raised his arms in a futile attempt to protect himself, heard his friends shout and the gun fire… But pain never reached him, only a scream and a warm weight did. Sykkuno snapped his eyes open, catching Cat who had thrown herself in the way of the laser. Sykkuno sank to the floor, flinching at the pained whimper the movement caused Cat to let out. He cast a worried glance at the wound and paled further. Oh no, oh Jesus, that was- There was a _dent_ carved out of her back, smoldering, charred flesh with _bone_ showing- Lily couldn't heal- 

"CAT!" Karl and Techno both cried out, Techno slicing the head off the last alien and Karl rushing to Sykkuno's side. A half choked sob broke free before Karl could cover his mouth, looking at them with wide eyes as Techno knelt beside them.

"I heard- The radio she said- Can you help her?" Techno pleaded, voice thick with emotion. Lily slowly shook her head.

"That's- Too much damage I- I'm still fairly new with my ability-" Lily choked out, mouth covered in horror. Sykkuno's lip trembled as he looked down at Cat, at this woman he didn't even know, who had saved his life. He felt tears prick his eyes as guilt washed over him, this was all his fault-

"K-Kar-l." Cat gasped, claws weakly digging into the floor, "R-Re-Wi-nd."

Karl's eyes widened as he nodded, understanding flashing through his eyes, "Right, right, fuck, hold on-"

Karl stood and held his hands out, palms up. Sykkuno frowned as a glowing orb appeared and-


	7. Panic and Panic

Karl was panicking, struggling to get a grasp on the last ten minutes. Take a breath, calm down, concentrate. He had to remember in as much detail as he could what had happened or he wouldn't be able to go back to the right moment, it had to be before- 

No, don't think about it. Don't think about how your friend is lying in the lap of someone you never thought you'd see again, don't think about the smell of burnt flesh and blood, the bones exposed from olive skin or the weak gasps for breath and panicked whispers. Stop it. Concentrate.

Karl let his eyes unfocus and stared solely at the glowing orb in his hands, willing everything to just  **_Stop._ **

Everything froze. No more whispers, no breathing beyond his own quick breaths, no alarms blasting or lasers firing. The world was still.

Karl sighed and closed his eyes, going through the calming techniques he'd learned for panic attacks once he realized both Corpse and Sykkuno were prone to them. When he opened his eyes again he could no longer hear the blood rushing in his ears and his breathing was back to something slow and regular. Karl had very quickly learned that panicking while fucking with time was a terrible, terrible idea, that he needed to pause and calm down before trying to mess with the flow of time.

He risked taking a quick glance at Cat, regretting it when tears sprung to his eyes and vile to his throat at the sight of the laser inflicted wound exposing parts of her ribs and spine, blood cauterized by the heat of the blast and muscles burnt and blackened. Karl looked away, forcing himself to remember, remember the music starting, remember breaking away from Techno to go see Fundy, remember walking into a room with five hostile aliens. Remember, remember, remember, and  **_reverse._ **

There was just the slightest difference between 'Rewind' and 'Reverse'. With the former, only he could remember time going backwards, but the latter allowed those who had the capability to process time movement to remember as well. It took a lot more energy to do, usually leaving Karl disoriented and nauseous. Karl didn't know if any of Corpse's group would be able to handle it, but he knew Techno and Cat both could. Karl watched the world blur around him, everything around him shifting and flowing, knowing his consciousness would be pulled to the phantom version of himself he watched move back to the floor, Corpse beside him. He waited a bit longer, to right when everyone had come in, to let go of his hold on time. 

Karl felt a familiar, sickening jolt as he was forced back to where he was a few minutes earlier, time moving at a slightly slowed pace while his vision cleared. He blinked, staring once more at the barrel of a ray gun, but this time he felt no fear, and let a smirk form as Cat lunged through the air and shoved a knife into the Bholphull's throat again.

"Oh thank god." Karl let out a breath of relief, this time getting to his feet on his own as Cat shot him a grateful smile before once again throwing herself back over to Sykkuno, much to Karl and Techno's panicked surprise. "CAT-!"

"Relax!" Cat laughed as this time, instead of blocking the gun's fire with her body, she was there soon enough to slash the frog's throat before it could even aim the weapon at the raven haired man, "I'm not that suicidal."

"...Can you  _ not _ give us heart attacks?" Techno growled, doing a quick scan over the room before walking over to smack Cat upside the head.

"Ow!" Cat's ears flattened as she gave Techno a small pout, "What, no praise for not getting shot this time?"

"...What. The fuck. Just happened?" Corpse was pale as he moved forward, reaching a shaky hand to press against Cat's back. Karl grimaced and grabbed his hand before the shorter man could make contact, knowing Cat didn't particularly like people she didn't know well touching her without permission.

"My ability, Clockwork. I reversed time." Karl explained, blushing a bit as he quickly released Corpse's hand, (why was he so cold?), when Cat moved away, she and Techno walking around the lounge to do a more thorough check that all the Bholphull were taken care of. 

Lily and Rae both looked really confused, but judging from Sykkuno and Toast's pale faces, they remembered what had happened, what Cat had almost given up to save someone she had only just met. Sykkuno took a hesitant step towards Cat, chewing on his lip timidly.

"I um. Th-Thank you, for uh, saving me. Twice I think?" Sykkuno offered her a nervous smile, and Karl watched as she paused and looked back at him, tail twitching just slightly.

"...You guys saved me first." Cat shrugged, turning her attention back to her self appointed task. Karl clicked his tongue and crossed his arms.

"Cat, that's not how you say 'you're welcome'." Karl chastised, giving her his best 'Disappointed Phil' look. Cat just gave him a slow, mildly amused blink.

"Karl, dude, buddy, that ain't gonna work." Cat rolled her eyes and gave him a crooked, somewhat resigned smile, "A bit too used to being… well, me."

_ The honk did that mean? _ Karl frowned, about to ask her to clarify when Corpse spoke up.

"You nearly gave up your life to save Sykkuno, and then you were prepared to do it again. That doesn't deserve thanks?" Corpse scowled, or at least Karl assumed he did by the set of his eyebrows, "Who the hell fucked you up  _ that _ bad?"

Cat made a noncommittal hum, turning to Techno instead of answering, "I only count four, Fundy said there were five in here."

"Yeah, one ran off when we got here but I didn't see what direction it went…" Techno frowned, scanning over the room critically. Karl frowned and turned to Corpse, wondering what he knew about Cat's behavior. Corpse heaved a quiet sigh, slowly meeting Karl's eyes with a much softer look.

"Hey. Been a while." Corpse said quietly, something of fondness and hesitance coating the words. Karl smiled brightly, so big and wide it hurt his cheeks.

"It really has, hasn't it?" Karl chuckled, looking at the five of them, "I've missed you… Ah, all of you."

Rae snickered and moved forward to pull him into a tight hug, "Aw, we missed you too Karl!"

"H-Hello?" A younger voice called out quietly, a small figure appearing in the doorway on the other side of the room. Karl turned, beyond shocked to see a small, pale skinned blonde child, not possibly older than thirteen, standing there with a frightened look on their face. He felt Rae tense behind him, and was immediately wary of the child. He took a glance at Techno, seeing the same surprised caution, and Cat was..

Trembling?

"Th-That's- That's not possible. You're not-  _ You _ can't be here." Cat rapidly shook her head, stepping away from the child with a muffled whimper as she clamped a hand over her mouth. She looked… She looked downright  _ horrified _ .

"Cat…?" The child's blue eyes seemed to light up as they took a step towards the woman, a smile slowly forming and tears springing to their eyes, "Cat I've missed you so much-!"

Karl frowned and glanced at Corpse, questioning silently if he knew this child. The younger man slowly shook his head, snapping his eyes back to the kid when he realized Karl didn't know them either… The child wasn't in either of their groups, and to Karl's knowledge, there wasn't a third one that was supposed to join them.

"...What's your middle name?" Cat whispered, tears forming in her eyes as she took another step away, the effort it took not to go any closer to this child she seemed to know was obvious. The child frowned, their bottom lip trembling as they looked up at Cat.

"What… What do you mean…? It's  _ me _ , it's Riz." The child, Riz apparently, whined and stepped closer to Cat, who just moved farther away, "Do you… Do you not recognize me? I'm your  _ sister _ !"

Karl sucked in a sharp breath, eyes wide as he glanced at Cat for confirmation, not noticing the way everyone else did too… The  _ second _ their eyes were off Riz, she moved at a blinding speed, going for Techno who was closest to her, jaws opened wider than any human was capable of. 

Cat didn't move. 

A shot rang out, a blade cut through the air. The imposter claiming to be Cat's sister was on the floor, a bullet hole through it's forehead and body sliced at the waist, where a Bholphull's real brain was. Dream stood behind it, panting heavily as he let flicked blood off his sword before returning it to its sheath.

Cat fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands, her body shaking as she was wracked with sobs. Dream moved to her quickly and gripped her shoulders, giving the woman a firm shake and murmuring words Karl was too far away to hear. Karl felt his heart ache for the woman, imposter or not, the cruelty of seeing a loved one only to have them ripped away must have broken whatever resolve was keeping the kind woman standing.

Techno quietly grabbed one of the blankets they kept in the lounge and placed it over the Bholphull's body, hiding it from further view.

"...Dream. I know that- You just- Um." Karl cleared his throat, trying to find the words.

"...I  _ need _ pancakes." Dream raised his voice just slightly, tossing a quick look over at Karl.

"...No, I don't think it's right for this country." Karl quietly replied, averting his gaze from Dream's soft attempts to calm Cat down.

Techno frowned and looked over to where Karl and Corpse's group was, grimacing at the confused and pained faces he saw, "...C'mon, Tommy still needs healed."

"But-" Rae, stepped forward, for some reason wanting to argue.

"No, Techno's right. We should go." Karl turned to them, quiet urgency in his voice. Cat hated,  _ hated _ when anyone saw her cry. He willed them to understand, he shared their concerns but… She needed to be as alone as she could right now. Toast placed a hand on Rae's shoulder and shook his head, the woman frowning but seeming to relent. Karl sighed and started leading them through the wreckage of the lounge, to a door hidden behind a bookshelf. It led straight to the security room, the hallway dim and only lit by low emergency lights.

"...Karl, is it alright if I say here?" Sykkuno awkwardly fidgeted with his fingers as he asked his hesitant question, hovering just inside the doorway. 

Karl turned to him with a sigh, keeping his voice quiet, "I… Sy, I know you just want to help but Cat is… Picky about when or if she wants company… I don't think she'd appreciate it right now."

"I-I know I just- She-" Sykkuno struggled for a moment, trying to find what exactly he wanted to say, "I want to help her."

"...You don't think we do?" Techno turned to him with a quiet, deadly glare, taking an angry step towards Sykkuno, "You don't  _ know _ her, you just want to pay back some obligation-"

"Fuck you." Corpse snarled, stepping between them, "Sy's not fucking like that, he wants to fucking help because he's a compassionate goddamn person."

Karl grimaced and quickly moved between Corpse and Techno, "Guys, please. I know we're all stressed and scared and worried, but we need to stay as calm as we can." Firstly, he turned to Techno, "Techno, I know you never really met him before, but Sykkuno genuinely just wants to help, not out of obligation, but more than likely because he's aware that he just saw a very kind person watch something that looked like their sister get killed and that shit fucks with you  _ bad _ ." He watched a resigned kind of understanding come to Techno's eyes, the taller man backing down and stepping away. 

Karl relaxed a bit and turned to Corpse and Sykkuno, knowing Techno wouldn't apologize yet, "Guys… Like I said, I know you're just worried and want to help, but Cat is… She takes a long time to open up to people, and absolutely despises when people see her cry. Dream's one of the few people that can calm her down quickly, so it's best to leave them be for the moment."

"...What if we stay here, in this passage?" Sykkuno offered, still adamant on helping, "For… For if the frog things show up again?"

Corpse nodded and looked up at Karl, "I don't like the thought of them getting swarmed."

Karl softened and looked back at Techno, "That sounds reasonable to me."

"...Alright, fine. Don't come to me if she bites your head off, she gets cranky as hell sometimes after crying her eyes out." Techno huffed, crossing his arms, "....I'm sorry. For being an ass."

"O-Oh no, it's okay, I under-" Sykkuno hurried to try to reassure Techno, but the pink haired man gave him a deadpan, if annoyed, look. Sykkuno gulped and nodded sheepishly, just quietly accepting the apology. Karl smiled and gave them a small nod before turning back down the passageway and waving the other to follow him. They still had a job to do.

* * *

Corpse watched Karl leave with the pink haired man and their friends, ever so mildly annoyed he hadn't been able to spend more time with him. Oh well, shit happens, especially when fighting aliens. Corpse let out a soft huff, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes. This shit was too fucking difficult.

"Um.. C-Corpse?" Sykkuno lightly grabbed the sleeve of his hoodie, prompting Corpse to reopen his eyes with a quizzical hum. Sykkuno smiled a little, shy and hesitant as always when he didn't hide it, "U-Um.. Thank you, for waiting here with me."

"It's no-" He stopped, biting back a laugh as  _ his own song _ started playing. Corpse wasn't really all that surprised, Cat had confirmed their humanity by reciting his lyrics, but both of the songs had been his harder ones… To hear 'agoraphobic' playing was a nice contrast, calming considering the situation.

Sykkuno giggled softly and swayed slightly to the music, his shoulders relaxing slowly as the older man smiled. "She has nice taste."

"How flattering." Corpse smirked behind his mask, watching as Sykkuno ducked his head to hide the dusting of pink on his cheeks. "Anyway, it's no problem, I was going to stay behind anyway. Like I said, they could get swarmed and we'd never know."

"Well gee, thanks for the vote of confidence." Dream's voice came from right beside Corpse, and he swung his arm.. Only to be met with empty air. The hell?

Dream laughed and appeared in the doorway a few feet away, a grin splitting his freckled face in two as he turned back to look at Cat, "See? Told you they'd jump."

"...I wouldn't call trying to break your nose 'jumping'." Cat muttered, eyes red and half hidden behind her hair, freed from its tail to hang just past her shoulders.

Sykkuno gave a nervous chuckle, a hand over his heart from the fright, "I- How did you..?"

"Light manipulation. I can turn invisible." Dream shrugged, pulling the bookcase closed behind him and plunging them into near darkness before the blonde started to glow enough to give them a small sphere of light. "I can do a lot of things."

Sykkuno looked awed, eyes wide and mouth open slightly. Corpse just nodded, his attention more in the woman quietly staring into space. She seemed dazed, half dead even, a far cry from the highly alert, energy filled Cat they'd met earlier. Corpse felt a sting of pity, this woman had saved his friend,  _ twice _ , and gotten her head fucked with for her efforts. He wondered if he should apologize for the comment about someone fucking her up.

"...Please stop staring at me." Cat whispered, taking a half step behind Dream and pointedly keeping her eyes downward.

Corpse blinked in mild surprise, saying nothing as he looked to Dream instead, quirking a brow as he took in the younger man's features. He really was cute, blonde hair pulled back from his face in a half ponytail, freckles splayed across his face and down his neck, bright green eyes full of life and intelligence. In another life, Corpse would consider trying to get him to bed, but that was neither here nor there. His heart belonged to Sykkuno and, if he'd have it, Karl, and he was very content with that. If. He ever got the courage to tell them.

Dream glanced at Cat, some complex emotions flitting over his face before he looked back at Corpse and Sykkuno, "Thanks for waiting on us, but we should catch up with the others before Tommy gets back on his feet and hunts her down."

He gave a vague gesture to Cat, probably expecting a laugh or other positive response, but the woman only frowned, hands tapping nervously against her leg, out of time with… whatever the hell was playing.

"What the hell is this?" Corpse glanced at a speaker, a brow raised at the odd language coming through. It was upbeat, and sometimes there were a few english phrases coming through. It wasn't bad, just not something Corpse would listen to on his own.

"Celtic music." Cat shrugged, eyes still trained on the floor as she started slowly moving forward, somehow managing to slip between him and Sykkuno without making contact, "...Sorry if it bothers you."

"Ah, no that's- I didn't mean it was bad." Corpse grimaced and tried to backtrack, but Cat only shrugged and kept walking. Dream sighed heavily behind them, and Corpse looked back to see him give a dismayed shake of his head.

"So, you like my song?" Dream lightly urged Corpse and Sykkuno forward, following after Cat and giving them light to see by. Cat seemed to duck her head further as she nodded. When he didn't receive a verbal answer Dream seemed to deflate, the light he emitted dimming a bit. 

"...What's your favorite animal?" Sykkuno asked quietly, smiling kindly when Cat glanced back at him.

"...Depends." Cat murmured with a sigh, seeming reigned, "Of all animals, probably foxes, but just domestic ones then definitely- Well. Cats. I have a cat. His name is Shiro."

"What color is he?" Corpse perked up, wondering if maybe she'd brought the kitty with her. He hoped so, he adored cats.

"...Black with bits of white. He.. Um. He's kinda shy but he's also very cuddly when he likes you." Cat's voice sounded a bit lighter, and Corpse felt a rush of affection for Sykkuno, glad that the kind hearted man was good at distracting people for probably the millionth time.

"He sounds like a cute kitty." Corpse chuckled, stopping when Cat shot a surprised look at him, "...What?"

"I. Um. Nothing." She shook her head and continued walking, "We're um, we're at the stairs so watch your step, they're a little steep."

"...Wait can you see in the dark?" Corpse raised a brow, a bit surprised. She'd looked completely human, no traits of her namesake visible… Was she A-

"Yes. My ability allows me to adapt to my environment." Cat sighed heavily and turned to look at them, her eyes looked  _ dead _ , "Test me if you feel like you need to."

"Um.." Sykkuno glanced over at Corpse, his eyes asking if he thought they needed to. Corpse frowned, the only evidence being his furrowed brows. He was about to answer when Cat spoke up again.

"E-girls, cat girls, cabin fever, never satisfied, miss you, white tee, agoraphobic." The 'dead inside' tone of Cat's voice made Corpse cringe, feeling awful for making her speak when she obviously didn't want to. The woman waited for a response, pursing her lips when she didn't receive any. Corpse was still trying to find something to say when they heard quick steps from the stairs thundering down towards them.

Corpse pulled Sykkuno behind him quickly, reaching for his ability to form a weapon. Such close quarters, maybe just a dagger instead of a sword? Or a gun?

Cat huffed and just waited, leaning against the wall as red sneakers came into view, shortly followed by the rest of a panicked looking Tommy Innit.

"I can't believe they just fucking- Shit!" Tommy came to a dead halt on the step right in front of Cat, eyes wide as they quickly scanned over her, "...I hit Techno with an egg when you tried to make me what?"

Cat smiled, and Corpse immediately felt better for it, the soft look suiting her much better than the dead one. "Pancakes, the day your parents told you…?" 

"My mum was pregnant." Tommy relaxed and reached out to flick Cat's forehead with a huff, "What took you so damn long?! We thought that-"

" _ Tommy _ thought y'all'd gotten attacked." Techno snorted from a few steps above them, "Come on, Fundy's gettin' hold of everyone for a stat report."

Corpse relaxed slightly as they made their way up the stairs and through another hallway, taking a few turns that he mentally noted down and passing what seemed to be other doors. Was this just some emergency escape route or some shit? A monitoring system? Did the ship they came in have one too? They had seemed similar enough, his being a bit smaller for speed reasons, but the general layout had seemed the same.

"-And in any case, we need to think about other ways to confirm everyone's identities or we'll run out of things to say." Someone was saying, an older man sitting at the console in front of a bunch of monitors and other equipment. Corpse guessed that this was the Fundy that Cat and Techno had mentioned.

"Well there's not much else we can do son, our interactions with each other and stuff from the SMP are things only we know." A voice of another man came through a speaker, and Fundy rolled his eyes.

"Not your son, Will, stop being a dork. And I know but.. We could run out of references, you know?" Fundy sighed, running a hand through his chestnut colored hair with a frown, glancing over at the door with a relieved look, "I need to get everyone on the same frequency, I'll be right back."

"I'll be here." Will's voice came through again, a small laugh coming along with it. Corpse walked over to Rae and Toast with Sykkuno as Fundy started messing with a bunch of dials and switches, Cat and Dream going over to their group.

"So, any word on the others?" Sykkuno asked worriedly, glancing at the monitors.

"I think I saw Sean and Felix, no sign of Dave, Ash or Tina." Toast frowned, his eyes also on the screens. His posture was tense, and he warily glanced at the other group in the room, "What do you think of them?"

"The ones we know more or less seem how we remember, can't say much about the others." Corpse shrugged, though his eyes flickered over to Cat. The dark haired woman was staring off into the distance, letting Karl chatter about something while gently combing his fingers through the woman's tangled locks. Corpse felt a flair of jealousy course through him and looked away, frowning at the pained look on Sykkuno's face as he too turned from their friend.

"...Thoughts on Cat?" Toast asked quietly, arms crossed as he narrowed his eyes at said woman.

"Aside from bossy?" Rae snorted, frowning as she glanced at Sykkuno, "...Brave, strong, and apparently pretty selfless… And a Corpse fan."

Corpse rolled his eyes at her grin, shaking his head with a huff, "...She's… She seems alright. Karl likes her well enough, he defended her, saved her."

"He was talking about her on the way here, she's been helping everyone celebrate their birthdays, holidays… Making favorite foods when someone is homesick." Lily walked over, smiling softly as she spoke, "They were going to celebrate hers today, she had forgotten to tell them the actual day so since they had planned a surprise party for today..."

"...One hell of a party." Toast sighed, rolling his shoulders to relieve some tension as he started to explain some of his observations, "Fundy is like their communications and tech guy, he has an ability that helps with it, and Techno is one of their main fighters. They're a bit on edge, which is to be expected due to the situation, but they're willing to trust us since some of them know us and we helped both Cat and Tommy… We can relax, a bit."

Corpse held back a snort as he watched a Bholphull get torn apart by an Archndian soldier. They wouldn't be able to relax for a while, until all those damn frogs were gone and they were far away from wherever the hell they were.

* * *

Cat was numb, the only things she could feel was a mix of lingering horror and sadness. It happened, and she hated it, but she knew it would pass. What she hated more were the damned pitying looks she kept getting, from those who knew her and those who didn't. It was giving her twitchy spikes of anger and making it really hard to focus on anything, and it was  _ already _ hard to focus through the numbness. Why was she like this? Why couldnt she be fucking  _ normal _ for once in her stupid  _ life _ -

"Karl stop, you're just gonna re-tangle it." Cat blinked back to what was going on as Rae came over and batted Karl's hands away from her hair. The older woman huffed and gently started undoing whatever Karl had been doing and Cat felt her whole body go stiff, very uncomfortable with someone she barely knew touching her.

"Oh wow, your hair is so  _ soft _ !" Rae giggled behind her, fingers deftly working on something complicated, "Is it part of the turning ability thing?"

"...No, just a me thing." Cat mumbled, flicking her thumb against her forefinger and trying so  _ hard _ to just fucking  _ breathe _ . Oh fucking- No, no she would not cry again, she was fine. Rae was just being nice, there was nothing fucking  _ wrong _ -

"Hey, are you alright?" Sykkuno had wandered over, lightly putting a hand on Cat's arm and  _ Nope _ . Her whole body absolutely rejected being touched and she jerked away from both of them, wincing when it resulted in her hair being pulled. They were staring at her, everyone was staring at her. Fuck, fuck what did she just do? They were being  _ nice _ nothing was  _ wrong _ . Cat's eyes rapidly filled with tears as she stumbled another step away, lip trembling as she tried not to cry.

"I- Please don't- I'm sorry-"  _ Can't breathe can't breathe can't breathe can't get away GO AWAY  _ **_STOPIT CAN'TBREATHE_ ** -

"-at Cat, can you hear me?" Who was that? Go away, leave me alone, I'm sorry- "Cat, hey, it's alright. I'm not angry, I promise. Can you do something for me?"

Cat clutched at her hair- When had her hands went there? She was shaking, she couldn't see through her tears, her butt kinda hurt- Did she fall? Probably, she was stupid and clumsy and-

" **Cat** ." The voice seemed different and she really wanted to listen to it, she raised her head just slightly, everything was blurry, " **Cat tell me five things you can see, even just shapes or colors."**

"L-Lights, g-green, brown… U-Um…" How many was that? Would the voice be angry? Fuck-

" **You're doing fine, just two more Cat."** The voice reassured softly. 

Cat nodded slowly and looked around some more, "Black, r-red."

" **That's good, thank you Cat. Can you tell me four things you can feel?"** The voice, a man, she knew him, he was nice. He could sing, she knew that.

"F-Floor, cold… M-My hair... Y-Your hands." Cat was calming down a bit more. Warm hands covered her own and gently moved them from her hair. Oh. She'd been grabbing at it. That explained why her head was hurting.

" **That's great Cat, what about three things you can hear?** " The man, it was Wilbur, that's why his voice was so calming. Wilbur was kneeling in front of her, thumbs rubbing soothing circles on the back on her hands, a concerned, but understanding look on his face. This wasn't the first time they'd sat like this.

Cat felt a sting of guilt and tried tugging her hands away, but Wilbur held onto them firmly, a small frown tugging at his lips.

" **You're almost done Cat. You're doing well. Please tell me three things you can hear?"** He pleaded softly, and Cat had to answer, he was being so nice and is was voice really pretty.

"My heartbeat, your voice… Fundy mumbling something." Cat tilted her head and glanced over, seeing Fundy still at his station and very much not looking at her. That helped. She didn't like people looking at her.

"Good, two things you can smell?" Will smiled, no longer using his Siren to get her to answer. She must be a lot calmer now.

"Um… Your cologne, it still smells like pine trees, and…" Her nose twitched and she looked at Rae, who was still near her, "Citrus?"

"Oh um. Yeah, it's ah… Lotion." Rae waved her hands in something of an example, looking sheepish and sad. Cat wanted to apologize, she hadn't meant to freak out like that.

"Alright, and one thing you can taste." Wilbur drew Cat's attention back to him and she left out a sigh.

"...Blood, I bit my cheek really hard earlier." Cat grimaced, just now really noticing the coppery taste in her mouth. Gross.

Wilbur chuckled softly, tension draining from his shoulders as he squeezed Cat's hands one last time before letting her pull them away, "Better?"

Cat nodded, mostly avoiding everyone's gaze as she contemplated her next words. Ultimately, she knew she'd fucked up and needed to apologize. She hesitantly looked over at Rae, who seemed more relaxed than a moment ago, "U-Um… Rae, I'm sorry-"

"Nuh-uh, don't try that." Rae shook her hand and gave Cat a kind smile, "I should have asked if it was okay before messing with your hair, Karl had told us you're not good with strangers, I should have listened."

"...That's…" Cat hesitated, everyone had learned that she didn't like being touched sometimes, even by people she knew well, but it had been something they noticed on their own. Cat was bad at explaining things, and hated upsetting people with her stupid feelings and fears-

"It's not that." Dream took a seat on the floor next to Cat, careful to leave room between them. He gave her a quick smile before looking up at Rae, "She has a form of touch aversion, it flares up when she gets stressed out. It's got nothing to do with you being new or anything."

Cat nodded and started picking at the blood flakes under her nails, she was seriously going to have to shower later, "Yeah… I'm sor-"

"Why are you apologizing for something you can't control?" Sykkuno asked quietly, fidgeting with his fingers a bit and hesitantly meeting Cat's confused gaze, "No one was angry, just worried and you don't need to apologize for that either because they're our feelings and.. It wasn't your fault. So. Don't apologize."

Cat pursed her lips and looked away, choosing not to answer. She didn't know what to say, she was embarrassed and sad, scared and tired.. She was ready for this day to be over already…

"..Fundy, how is everyone?" Dream turned his attention to their friend, taking attention away from Cat once more. Wilbur shifted to look at Fundy, keeping a hand halfway to Cat in case she decided she needed someone to hold on to. It didn't go unnoticed that Tommy, Techno, and Karl had all gravitated towards her as well, forming a loose protective circle around her. These people were too kind to her, she wasn't worth all this trouble.

"We're doing okay so far, got the residential quarters cleared out and so far Cat is apparently the only one to get cat-astrophic injuries which Karl dealt with." The red haired man looked over with a grin, causing Cat to snort.

"Really, cat puns? Should we call you Pun-dy?" Cat rolled her eyes, giving in to her exhaustion and leaning against Dream's shoulder. They still had shit to talk about but he had literally let her cry her heart out all over his chest, he must not hate her completely. Probably.

Fundy laughed and looked at the monitors again, "Hmm, maybe. Anyway, the others in the new group have met up with Sapnap, Illumina, and Poki so they're okay too… I got word from the Captain, they're clearing out the rest of the Bholphull now. I told the others to gather up here, we'll seal off the entrances until we're clear."

Cat felt her eyes droop as Dream started talking about how they should test everyone, the events of the day fully catching up to her. She felt something like a jacket get draped over her and cuddled into the warmth it provided. It smelled like a campfire and peppermints. Cat hummed and drifted off into a light doze, tension finally draining away.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, thanks for reading! The next chapter should be out soon if you wanna read more.  
> Kudos and comments give me life!
> 
> The only real names used in this story are the famous people, myself and my friends are nicknames :P


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